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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27093253">Into the Darkness</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/samsimpala/pseuds/samsimpala'>samsimpala</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Messenger of God Saga [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fighting The Darkness (Supernatural), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Season/Series 11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-09 03:28:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>104,590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27093253</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/samsimpala/pseuds/samsimpala</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Mark of Cain has finally been removed from Angela's arm, resulting in the Darkness being unleashed, and she is pissed. How will the Winchesters defeat the Darkness? And how will they react when God finally returns after all these years? Find out in Into the Darkness! Revision of Season 11. Sam x OC.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sam Winchester/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Messenger of God Saga [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888270</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Out of the Darkness and into the Fire Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A/N: Hey, y'all, welcome to Into the Darkness, the tenth installment of the Messenger of God Saga! It involves my OC Angela Morgan, and the daughter she had with Sam, Grace Elizabeth Winchester. This will be a revision of season 11 and will be written from the Winchesters' POV, so some scenes will be cut out.</p><p>Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Supernatural. I just own Angela and Grace :) Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Superior, Nebraska</em>
</p><p>Angela was surrounded by the Darkness cloud that has been hurtling toward the Impala. She looked around wildly until a woman appeared in front of her.</p><p>"Hey!" Angela called out. "The hell's going on?!"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Dean were both unconscious in the Impala, the horn blaring loudly.</p><p>Sam groaned as he woke up groggily, frowning when he didn't see Angela. "Dean! Dean?"</p><p>Dean slowly regained consciousness and looked around, brows furrowed in confusion. "Where the hell is Angie?"</p><p>"I don't know," Sam replied, worry lacing his voice as he got out of the car. "Angie?!"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela was lying on the ground, unconscious and surrounded by a field of flowers. Sam and Dean came walking up the hill.</p><p>"Sam," Dean pointed to Angela's still form.</p><p>"Hey! Hey, baby." Sam ran over as Angela groaned. "You okay?"</p><p>"Yeah." She mumbled as Sam helped her up. "Where's the car?"</p><p>"I-i-it's… About a mile away, kid." Dean answered.</p><p>"What?" Angela asked, confused.</p><p>"Seriously?" Sam frowned. "The—the darkness hit. You disappeared. You remember none of this?"</p><p>Angela's face twisted in thought as she thought back to the Darkness hitting them.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"<em>Hold on!" Angela yelled.</em></p><p>
  <em>Angela noticed the woman from the Darkness outside the car, and then Angela was standing in front of her.</em>
</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"She saved me." Angela murmured.</p><p>"What? Who?" Dean questioned.</p><p>Angela looked up at the brothers, clearly confused. "The Darkness."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Wait a second," Sam's brows pinched together. "What do you mean, she saved you?"</p><p>"You guys were there. When the storm hit, everything went dark." Angela replied obviously.</p><p>"Yeah, but kid, you just disappeared from the car," Dean explained.</p><p>"I don't even remember that." Angela shook her head.</p><p>"Well, we don't remember some woman pulling you out." Sam frowned deeply.</p><p>"Well, what do you want me to say, baby?" Angela huffed in annoyance. "I was in the car, and then I wasn't in the car. I was in the field, and she was there."</p><p>"And she told you she was the Darkness?" Dean asked.</p><p>"No. She was wearing a nametag." Angela sassed. "What do you think? She thanked me."</p><p>Sam's face scrunched up in confusion. "For what?"</p><p>"Setting her free." Angela shrugged.</p><p>"You didn't set her free. Sam and I set her free." Dean corrected.</p><p>"Does it matter? I mean, yeah, you guys said the spell, but I had the mark, so lock and key." Angela shrugged.</p><p>"So, what, now she feels indebted to you or something?" Sam asked curiously as they walked back to the Impala.</p><p>"I don't know," Angela muttered. "She's a Darkness. Does she feel anything?"</p><p>"And that's all she said? Thanks?" Dean raised his brows questioningly.</p><p>"Yeah," Angela confirmed with a sigh. "She was weird. But she had this energy about her, this—this focus. But, yeah, not a talker."</p><p>"So, we know jack," Sam complained.</p><p>"Well, we know what she looks like, and we know that she's evil." Angela corrected. "The question is, what does she know? I mean, she's been locked away since the beginning of time. All I know is that we set her free, and we're gonna put her back in, no matter what it takes." She rambled as she got in the car, which was still stuck down in the pothole. "What the… Just gonna let me get in the car?"</p><p>"You were on a roll, kid." Dean shrugged in defense.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela were in the Impala driving down the road when they suddenly came upon a gruesome scene.</p><p>"What the hell happened here?" Dean questioned as they got out of the Impala.</p><p>Suddenly, the three hunters heard a sound coming from behind them.</p><p>"Hello?" Sam called out.</p><p>A road-worker started approaching the three hunters, and black veins covered the man's visible skin.</p><p>"Oh, that's not a happy sight," Angela commented. "Hey, easy, buddy. Just stay cool till we figure out what's going on here, okay?" Angela added as the man continued walking toward them. "Kind of narrowing my options here."</p><p>"We don't even know what he is." Sam retorted.</p><p>Out of nowhere, a woman dressed in police gear shot the road-worker from behind, then pointed her weapon at the three hunters.</p><p>"Weapons on the ground. Slow." Jenna commanded firmly.</p><p>"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy, officer. We're FBI, okay? We got badges." Dean assured.</p><p>"Don't," Jenna pumped her shotgun threateningly. "Show me some skin."</p><p>"Huh?" Dean's brows furrowed.</p><p>"What?" Sam and Angela asked simultaneously.</p><p>"All of you." Jenna glared.</p><p>"Is this, like, a <em>'Magic Mike'</em> moment?" Dean quipped.</p><p>"Your throats!" Jenna yelled.</p><p>"Oh, you think we're—we're…" Angela trailed off, glancing at the dead road-worker. "Look, we don't even know what these are."</p><p>"I need to know you're not one of 'em," Jenna replied seriously.</p><p>"One of what?" Dean asked, confused.</p><p>"Let's go!" Jenna snapped.</p><p>"Okay, alright, look," Dean said as they pulled down the collars of their shirts. "Huh? See?"</p><p>"Good." Jenna sighed in relief. "Let's see those IDs."</p><p>"Yeah, whoa. Alright, take—take it easy, okay?" Angela suggested before gesturing to the deputy's wound. "Bad guys?"</p><p>"Rebar," Jenna answered. "I sought cover. I fell."</p><p>"Okay," Angela pursed her lips. "Why don't you tell us what happened here?"</p><p>"911 reported a family in distress. I arrived to find several hostiles attacking said family." Jenna explained, shuddering. "Oh, God, it was horrible."</p><p>"How long you been on the job, deputy?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"Uh…" Jenna paused. "Okay, three weeks."</p><p>"Okay, ah," Dean muttered. "I'm Dean. This is Sam, and this is Angela. Just breathe. Okay? Speak plain. What happened?"</p><p>"They killed them all," Jenna replied.</p><p>"Who?" Sam asked with a frown.</p><p>"Roadcrew. It was—they were like rabid dogs." Jenna explained. "I fired off a warning, but they didn't stop. They…"</p><p>Angela's eyes widened slightly in shock. "You killed all these?"</p><p>"I knew some of the boys, but they didn't look—something was wrong. They were…" Jenna stammered.</p><p>"They're not human." Sam finished.</p><p>"Hey, look, we can stitch that up, but, uh, it's gonna be ugly," Dean noted. "You got a hospital around here?"</p><p>"Up the road." Jenna nodded.</p><p>"Alright," Angela replied gently. "Here we go."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, and Jenna drove up to the hospital, and the sight wasn't exactly comforting. The four of them got out of the car and walked into the hospital, which was littered with dead bodies.</p><p>"Well, this is encouraging," Dean remarked sarcastically before turning to Jenna. "Wait here."</p><p>"So, what are you guys thinking?" Sam queried.</p><p>"I don't really know what to think," Angela admitted. "And I don't know what to expect either, so I'm just gonna chuck it all in."</p><p>"This is the darkness, right? It's got to be." Dean replied.</p><p>"So, what," Angela's brows furrowed slightly. "She shows up and everybody goes '28 Days Later'? We didn't."</p><p>"Yeah, but Sammy and I were in the car, and you were—you said she protected you." Dean shrugged. "So, maybe it wasn't her. Maybe it was the smoke, and anybody who was outside, like the road crew, they were exposed. I mean, you that, Angie. That wasn't human."</p><p>"So, what? The smoke mutated them?" Angela posed. "Sure, why not? Just a couple hours ago, I killed Death. I'm pretty much open for anything." She shrugged. "But mutated into what? Alright, you know what, one thing at a time." Angela shook her head. "Let's just get her some help and then we'll deal with whatever comes next."</p><p>"I got to call this in." Jenna chimed in, referring to the bodies all over the hospital.</p><p>"No, bad idea," Dean replied firmly. "More people, more bodies. We'll deal with this."</p><p>"You know what, Dean, let's go take a look around. Angie, you sew her up." Sam suggested.</p><p>"Okay," Angela leaned up and pecked Sam's lips. "Love you."</p><p>"Love you, too, baby," Sam replied before he and Dean walked off.</p><p>"Alright," Angela looked at Jenna. "You know this place?"</p><p>"This way." Jenna started walking ahead.</p><p>"Okay." Angela nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Dean snuck down a hallway and found one of the road crew members trying to break their way into a supply closet. He started to approach where Sam and Dean were hiding, but a baby crying distracted him easily.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Jenna sat on the table in the exam room as Angela prepared the supplies to sew up Jenna's wound.</p><p>"This is gonna hurt like a son of a bitch," Angela warned.</p><p>"I knew those boys' sisters, their parents," Jenna whispered sadly.</p><p>"You did what you were trained to do. It's alright." Angela comforted.</p><p>"They don't train you to shoot your friends." Jenna shook her head. "I panicked. I could have…"</p><p>"Those boys weren't boys." Angela interrupted as she started working on Jenna's wound. "They were monsters, and they were a threat. Anybody could have panicked. Not anybody could have done what you did."</p><p>Jenna looked up at Angela with sad eyes. "This job is supposed to be saving people."</p><p>"Yeah, well…" Angela let out a heavy sigh. "It sounds better on paper, doesn't it?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"<em>Well, now that you've said your thanks, let's talk about what happens next," Angela told the Darkness.</em></p><p>"<em>I like it here. With you." The Darkness smiled gently. "I haven't felt this peaceful in a long, long time."</em></p><p>"<em>Well, let's get something straight—I'm not here to bring you peace." Angela narrowed her eyes. "I know what you are."</em></p><p>"<em>Really?" the Darkness quirked a brow. "I've been gone so long, I didn't think anyone remembered."</em></p><p>"<em>Well, Death painted a hell of a picture." Angela retorted.</em></p><p>
  <em>The woman's brows furrowed in confusion. "I don't know this death, and he doesn't know me."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Angela held up her knife and raised her brows. "So, are you saying I shouldn't try and kill you right now?"</em>
</p><p>"<em>Am I saying that? Or are you?" the Darkness tilted her head.</em></p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Dean were hiding behind a desk when they heard a large crash. Peeking around the corner, Dean noticed that the road crew member has collapsed and died. He signaled to Sam and they walked to the supply closet, and Sam knocked on the door.</p><p>"Hello? Hello?" the younger Winchester called out.</p><p>"Is he dead?" A man's voice came from inside the closet.</p><p>"Yeah, um…" Dean glanced at the body. "Yeah, he's dead. It's okay to come out. We're, uh, FBI. Here. My partner and I are gonna slide our badges under the door, okay?"</p><p>After the brothers slid their badges under the door, it opened to reveal a man holding an infant, clearly frightened.</p><p>"Help us, please." He begged.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, Jenna, and the man with the baby, Mike were all in the exam room.</p><p>"The doc said it was gonna be a tough birth, but Janie… she stepped up." Mike explained. "The twister hit, the power went out. She just kept going. No drugs. Just pushed out this little dewdrop like she was nothing. Then Janie started bleeding. They tried, but… You'd think they'd know how to stop something like that."</p><p>"I'm so sorry, Mike." Jenna apologized sincerely.</p><p>"You think you could tell us what happened here?" Dean asked.</p><p>"I went outside, after… t'collect myself. A truckload of 'em pulled up." Mike answered.</p><p>"The road crew?" Sam raised his brows.</p><p>"They didn't say nothing. They just went off, attacking folks like they were possessed." Mike recalled. "I tore back inside to get this little one. I found that supply closet, and you know, been there since. I could hear them, though. Tearing through the halls. Doctors, nurses—they didn't care."</p><p>"You said the road crew went nuts," Angela started. "Did any of them come after you?"</p><p>"Yeah, a few of them." Mike nodded.</p><p>"Did they cut you or bleed on you?" Sam questioned.</p><p>Mike's brows furrowed. "They did."</p><p>"I don't understand," Jenna cut in. "What are you saying?"</p><p>"Saying that whatever this is, it might be transmittable," Dean replied grimly.</p><p>"What?" Jenna frowned. "We don't even know what this is. Now you're saying it can be passed on?"</p><p>"He's right," Mike replied. "I can feel it. Inside. Something's happening."</p><p>"How long has it been since you were attacked?" Angela interrogated.</p><p>"Three, four hours," Mike answered. "The real question is, how long till I become like them?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Out of the Darkness and into the Fire Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Well, you know where I stand," Dean told Sam, arms folded across his chest.</p><p>"No, you're not… You can't be serious." Jenna's eyes widened. "And if he goes out there, they'll kill him."</p><p>"So, we just wait around for him to kill us?" Angela scoffed. "Oh, yeah, that's—that's a plan."</p><p>"Or we just wait for him to die," Sam argued. "There was a—whatever you want to call it—a 'rabid' attacking the closet door, and he just died. Dean, you saw it. These things have a shelf life."</p><p>"I can't believe what I'm hearing here." Angela shook her head in disbelief.</p><p>"No, he's right. We lock him up, find a cure." Jenna suggested. "This is a hospital."</p><p>"Yeah, well, call it a hunch, but I don't think you're gonna find this in the medical books." Dean retorted.</p><p>"I didn't open up that closet door to find a cure." Mike chimed in.</p><p>"Look, Mike, I'm sorry, but this is untenable." Angela shook her head.</p><p>"I know." He nodded. "That's why I thought maybe we could make a deal. I'll go find somewhere quiet to lay low until this is over. And you save my baby girl."</p><p>"Yeah," Angela replied immediately. "You've got yourself a deal."</p><p>"And I thank you for that. I truly do. But I wasn't talking to you." Mike told Angela before turning to Jenna. "I know you. I've seen you in church since you were knee-high. Please."</p><p>"I don't even own a guinea pig," Jenna commented as Mike handed her the baby.</p><p>"There you go, little girl." Mike cooed at his daughter. "There you go. Thank you. Thank you all."</p><p>"Why do I get a feeling that that is gonna bit us in the ass?" Dean muttered as Mike ran out of the room.</p><p>"You good, Jenna?" Angela asked softly.</p><p>"Oh, yeah. Aces." She nodded.</p><p>"Alright, let's gear up," Dean instructed.</p><p>"That might be tricky." Sam looked out the window and saw another car of rabids pull up.</p><p>"What are they doing?" Jenna asked as Dean and Angela started loading their guns.</p><p>"Dean, Angie…" Sam trailed off.</p><p>"We made a promise." Dean reminded.</p><p>"To do what? Charge out there, guns blazing?" Sam inquired. "We don't even know how to kill them."</p><p>"She does." Angela nodded to Jenna. "Chest, right? I'm guessing heart."</p><p>"This is madness." Jenna acknowledged.</p><p>"No. No, that is madness." Dean pointed out the window. "This is horse sense."</p><p>"Save Mike's baby, but shoot Mike. Tell me where that makes sense." Jenna demanded.</p><p>"Look, we can just wait for them to die," Sam stressed.</p><p>"And how long is that? And when they infect others, how long is that?" Angela questioned. "No, we stay here. We did this, Sam. Okay? We broke it, we bought it. You know there's no other way." She added firmly before her phone started ringing. "Where the hell are you, Cas?"</p><p><em>"I'm… I'm okay."</em> Castiel's voice rang through.</p><p>"You don't sound okay." Angela's brows furrowed.</p><p><em>"Angela, I am fine."</em> He assured. <em>"Besides, what I have, you can't help me."</em></p><p>Angela looked even more confused at that. "What do you mean, what you have?"</p><p><em>"Just please tell Sam and Dean—Rowena escaped with the Book of the Damned and the codex,"</em> Castiel explained.</p><p>"Okay, forget Rowena. Where are you?" Angela asked worriedly.</p><p><em>"Now, you tell me—the mark…"</em> Castiel trailed off.</p><p>"Oh, really?" Angela's brows shot up. "You're worried about me after everything that I've—</p><p><em>"Angela, is it gone?"</em> Castiel cut her off.</p><p>"Yes," Angela answered softly. "I'm good. I mean, I'm not great."</p><p><em>"Makes two of us,"</em> Castiel muttered as Angela put him on speaker. <em>"This is good news."</em></p><p>"Hey, Cas." Sam and Dean greeted.</p><p><em>"Sam. Dean."</em> Castiel addressed.</p><p>"Okay, your turn. Talk to us about the Darkness." Angela told Castiel.</p><p><em>"Why would I talk about the Darkness?"</em> Castiel asked, confused.</p><p>"Because it's free," Dean responded.</p><p><em>"No,"</em> Castiel denied. <em>"That can't be."</em></p><p>"Removing the mark opened some kind of lock. Angela saw her." Sam explained.</p><p><em>"The Darkness is a woman?"</em> Castiel questioned.</p><p>"Well, that's what we're asking you," Dean replied. "We were hoping you could tell us what kind of DEFCON screwed we are."</p><p>"Cas?" Angela asked after receiving silence.</p><p><em>"Sam, Dean, Angela… Goodbye."</em> Castiel replied ominously. <em>"It may be some time before we see one another again."</em></p><p>"Wait, Cas. Cas!" Angela frowned when the line went dead.</p><p>"FBI, my ass." Jenna glared at the three hunters.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Jenna soothed the crying infant as Sam, Dean, and Angela argued in the exam room.</p><p>"Look, I get it. I do." Sam assured. "We're gonna save that baby, okay? And we're gonna find Cas, and we're gonna stop the darkness."</p><p>"Okay, so what are you talking about?" Angela raised her brows questioningly.</p><p>"The plan." Sam returned.</p><p>"We have a plan, okay?" Dean retorted. "It's the same plan as it's always been. In order to get out, we go through."</p><p>"And? How's that been working for us?" Sam criticized.</p><p>"We can't save Cas if we're stuck in some hospital, okay?" Angela argued. "Just like I can't strap on a time machine, go back, and tell Cain to shove that mark up his ass or stop you and Dean from releasing the Darkness. Now, have we made mistakes? Yes. Hell, yes. And we can analyze each and every one of them once we're out of this damn room!" she snapped. "Right now, all I can do is I can gear up, I can head out, and I can save that freaking baby, which is exactly what I'm gonna do."</p><p>"Angie's right, Sam. The priority has got to be saving that baby." Dean agreed.</p><p>Sam looked between his brother and his wife, sighing heavily. "When did we forget how to do this?"</p><p>"What?" Dean's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Guys, if we don't change—<em>right now</em>—all of our crap is just gonna keep repeating itself." Sam pointed out.</p><p>"Okay, I-I don't even—what?" Angela stammered.</p><p>"This—this 'kill first, question later.' What happened to us?" Sam asked. "Hunting things—we're good at that. Sure, we're great at that. But that's only half of the bumper sticker."</p><p>"Sam, we are trying to save that baby," Dean stressed.</p><p>"And what about the others out there?" Sam argued.</p><p>"You mean the ones trying to kill us?" Angela reminded her husband.</p><p>"I mean the ones that are sick, the ones that are dying." Sam corrected.</p><p>"Yeah, who won't rest until they've infected us all," Dean complained.</p><p>"So, we just forget about a cure?" Sam frowned deeply.</p><p>"What cure? Jenna's cure?" Dean held up his shotgun.</p><p>"There is always a cure. You just have to want to find it." Sam countered.</p><p>"Yeah, how are you gonna find it if you're dead?" Angela retorted. "And around and around we go."</p><p>"Saving people means all of the people, Angela." Sam pointed out. "Not just that baby. Not just each other. Dean and I unleashed a force on this world that could destroy it… to save you."</p><p>"And I told you guys not to," Angela recalled, folding her arms across her chest.</p><p>"And we'd do it again. In a second, we would do it again." Sam stressed. "And that is what I'm talking about. This isn't on you. It is on all of us. We have to change."</p><p>"What are you thinking, Sammy?" Dean sighed heavily.</p><p>"Get Jenna to the car. Get her and the baby somewhere safe." Sam planned out.</p><p>"Without a shot," Angela muttered. "And what are we gonna do about those things on our tail?"</p><p>Sam paused in thought, pursing his lips. "They won't be on your tail."</p><p>Dean frowned, realizing what Sam was alluding to. "No way."</p><p>"Sam, you are not staying here!" Angela snapped.</p><p>"You said it, baby. We broke this." Sam reminded.</p><p>"Yeah, we broke this, okay? We did." Angela admitted.</p><p>"I heard it in your voice when you agreed to take that child, Angie." Sam murmured. "I get it. You and Dean do what you do. But you guys have to let me do what I do, too."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam looked over the railing into the stairwell, looking down at the rabids that stood on the lower level. "Hey! Over here!"</p><p>"Come on," Dean said as he and Angela led Jenna out the other way.</p><p>"Come and get me, you sons of bitches!" Sam yelled out.</p><p>Sam locked himself in a nearby supply closet and the rabids outside started pounding on the door. Sam turned around, only to find that he's locked himself in with one of the rabids. The rabid woman attacked Sam and he slid her throat, getting her blood all over his face. Finally, the other rabids broke down the door and pinned Sam to the wall.</p><p>"Don't do this." Sam pleaded. "Let me help you."</p><p>The rabids smelled Sam, and after a few moments, they left him alone and walked out of the room.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Jenna, Angela, and Dean almost made it out of the hospital when they were suddenly stopped by Mike, who was clearly infected.</p><p>"Come on." Angela urged.</p><p>"The baby," Mike demanded.</p><p>"No." Jenna shook her head.</p><p>"The baby," Mike repeated.</p><p>"No," Dean replied firmly. "We're not gonna hurt you, Mike. As long as you leave that baby alone. Mike."</p><p>"Amara." Mike gasped out.</p><p>"What?" Jenna's brows furrowed in confusion.</p><p>"Her name… is Amara." Mike groaned before he keeled over and died.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean, Angela, and Jenna pulled into a gas station in a nearby town. The three of them got out of the Impala and Jenna held Amara in her arms.</p><p>"You good, Jenna?" Angela asked, brows furrowed in concern.</p><p>"Yeah. Baby. Poop." She chuckled. "What could go wrong?"</p><p>"I've been there." Angela laughed lightly. "Godspeed."</p><p>"I have no idea what I'm doing," Jenna admitted to the two hunters.</p><p>"Right," Dean pursed his lips. "Listen, we know things might seem dark right now—hell, call it pitch-black. And you may not be able to see it, but your way back is right there. You and her. You're gonna help each other."</p><p>"Joy comes in the morning." Jenna recited. "My grandma leads a Bible study."</p><p>"Ah." Dean nodded. "Well, let's go with that."</p><p>Angela pulled out her phone as Jenna walked away and called Sam, putting the phone on speaker.</p><p><em>"Hey, you good?"</em> Sam's voice rang through.</p><p>"Yeah, about 40 minutes outside of town," Angela replied. "As far as we can tell, it's isolated to Superior."</p><p><em>"Well, that's something,"</em> Sam muttered.</p><p>"How about you? You okay?" Dean asked concernedly.</p><p><em>"What'd you expect?"</em> Sam scoffed lightly. <em>"Like it or not, I'm gonna find a cure."</em></p><p>"Yeah, we know you are," Dean replied. "Man, things are screwy right now. I know we don't have any answers, but at least we got one win, you know?"</p><p><em>"I hear you."</em> Sam agreed.</p><p>"Alright, we're gonna run Jenna up to her grandmother's," Angela explained. "Shouldn't be more than a few others. Then we clean up that town. We find the Darkness, and we kick her ass. I love you, Sammy."</p><p><em>"Yeah, that's great, baby. That um… sounds like a plan."</em> Sam replied. <em>"I love you, too."</em></p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Angela was back in the cloud with the Darkness.</em>
</p><p>"<em>If you're as bad as they say you are, why haven't you hurt me?" Angela questioned.</em></p><p>"<em>For the same reason that you'll never hurt me." The Darkness replied, pulling aside her dress to show the Mark of Cain on her collarbone. "We're bound, Angela. We'll always be bound. You helped me. I helped you. No matter where I am, who I am… We will always help each other."</em></p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam grunted as he pulled himself off the ground and he stumbled to look in the mirror. He pulled aside his shirt, and he had the same black marks starting on his chest that the rabids had.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Form & Void Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Superior, Nebraska</em>
</p><p>Sam raided a nearby hardware store and grabbed various items to make himself a taser. Sam walked out of the store and down an alley, a nearby voice catching his attention.</p><p><em>"H-a-t-e. It was with this left hand that old brother Cain struck the blow that laid his brother low."</em> The voice recited. <em>"L-o-v-e. You see these fingers? They're arched. These fingers have veins that run straight to the soul of man. The right hand, friends—the hand of love. Now watch, and I'll show you the story of life. These fingers, dear hearts, is always a-warrin' and a-tuggin', one against the other. Now watch 'em. Old brother left hand—left hand hates a-fightin'."</em></p><p>Sam walked deeper down the alley and found an infected man with a radio playing next to him.</p><p>"Can you talk?" Sam questioned.</p><p><em>"And it looks like the love's a goner."</em> The radio continued.</p><p>"Or are you too far gone?" Sam asked.</p><p><em>"But wait a minute."</em> The radio played.</p><p>"What?" the man looked up at Sam.</p><p><em>"Wait a minute."</em> The radio repeated. <em>"Hot dog! Love's a-winnin'. Yes, siree. It's love that won. And old left-hand hate is down for the count."</em></p><p>"Good answer." Sam nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The Impala pulled into the driveway and Dean, Angela, and Jenna got out, with Amara.</p><p>"Well, nice neighborhood," Angela commented as she took in the rural farmland.</p><p>"Yeah." Jenna agreed. "I pretty much grew up here. Learned to ride my bike down the road. Had my first kiss at that blue house over there. Lost my virginity up there."</p><p>"I'll bet that blue house was pissed," Dean muttered.</p><p>"She was." Jenna chuckled as she handed Amara to Angela. "Do you mind?"</p><p>"Yeah. Hey, beautiful." Angela cooed softly.</p><p>"Anyway… That's why I asked you to bring us here." Jenna explained to the hunters. "After everything that happened, it just feels safe."</p><p>"Well, good." Dean nodded. "Safe is good."</p><p>Angela rocked Amara lightly as she started to fuss. "Shh, shh, shh."</p><p>"You're so great with her." Jenna smiled softly.</p><p>"She reminds me of my daughter when she was a baby," Angela replied quietly.</p><p>"Right." Jenna nodded.</p><p>"You're gonna be okay, both of you," Dean assured.</p><p>"I know. What about you guys? And Sam? Are you gonna be okay?" Jenna tilted her head.</p><p>"Well, for us, the bar's pretty low," Dean muttered. "See ya."</p><p>"Dean. Angela. Thank you… for everything." Jenna replied sincerely.</p><p>Jenna's grandmother stepped out of the house and onto the porch. "Jenna!"</p><p>Angela handed Amara back to Jenna and gave her a small smile before she and Dean left, walking back toward the Impala.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Superior, Nebraska</em>
</p><p>Sam looked in the mirror after downing some pills and noticed that his black veins were spreading. He had the sick man captured and handcuffed to one of the hospital beds.</p><p>"What's your name?" Sam asked the man.</p><p>"Bite me." The man snapped.</p><p>"Okay, 'Bite Me,' how long have you been infected?" Sam questioned.</p><p>"Could ask you the same thing." The man retorted. "We smell our own."</p><p>"Answer the question." Sam narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"Why? 'Cause you want to know how much time you got left?" the man scoffed.</p><p>"I want to know everything," Sam replied firmly.</p><p>"Uh-huh." The man nodded. "What's in it for me?"</p><p>"Well, if I can find a cure—</p><p>"If. I want something real…" the man interrupted. "Something I can hold in my hands."</p><p>Sam's brows furrowed. "Like what?"</p><p>"Your pudding." The man answered after a moment.</p><p>Sam threw him the pudding cup, which the man opened and ate with his fingers.</p><p>"I was infected last night," Sam commented. "You?"</p><p>"This morning." The man answered as he scarfed down the pudding.</p><p>Sam tilted his head, confused. "Wait a second. Then why—</p><p>"Am I further along?" the man finished. "Don't know. This thing, it ain't math. I seen some people change fast, some change slow. But in the end… We all end up the same. We go psycho. And then we go boom."</p><p>"Well, that's not—I'm gonna fix this," Sam assured the man.</p><p>"Liar!" the man roared. "You and me, we're dead. We're just taking our sweet time about it. So, if you were smart, you'd put a bullet in me… and then eat one yourself."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The Impala sped down the road and Dean pulled out his phone, dialing Castiel's number.</p><p>"Come on, Cas." He groaned as the angel didn't answer.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Angela continued their drive back to Superior when suddenly, Angela's phone started ringing.</p><p>"Hello?" she answered. "Jenna, hey," she replied, earning a look from Dean. "Uh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. What's wrong?"</p><p>Dean whipped a U-turn and the Impala sped back in the direction of Jenna's grandmother's house.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Superior, Nebraska</em>
</p><p>Sam was at the hospital talking on the phone with Angela.</p><p>"I mean, it sounds like something out of <em>'The Exorcist.'</em>" Sam commented.</p><p><em>"That's what I said."</em> Angela's voice rang through.</p><p>"So, you thinking demon?" Sam asked.</p><p><em>"Or the kid got infected by something,"</em> Angela suggested.</p><p><em>"You know, who knows what was in that giant, crazy fart?"</em> Dean's voice rang through the speaker.</p><p>"Wow." Sam chuckled. "Vivid. Thanks."</p><p><em>"Look, baby, we know you're flying solo."</em> Angela sighed.</p><p>"No, I'm—I'm fine, Angie." Sam lied. "Look, don't—don't worry about me. Just help Jenna. And if you guys need anything, then call me."</p><p><em>"Will do. How're you doing? How's 'Zombieland'?"</em> Angela asked curiously.</p><p>"It's good. It's great." Sam muttered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam was searching online for some sort of cure for this mystery infection, when suddenly he heard a woman singing, the sound echoing through the empty hallways.</p><p>"O death, o death, o death won't you spare me another year?" Billie sang ominously. "Oh, what is this that I can't see with ice-cold hands taking hold of me? When God is gone and the devil takes hold who'll have mercy on your soul?"</p><p>Sam frowned when he found the woman, who had her back to him.</p><p>"Hey, Sam." She greeted, finally turning to face him.</p><p>"How do you know my name? Who are you?" he demanded.</p><p>"Mm. Think you mean, 'what'?" Billie corrected. "Here's a hint. You, your brother, and your wife been real good for business lately."</p><p>"You're a Reaper." Sam realized quickly.</p><p>"The circle gets the square," Billie smirked.</p><p>"What's your name?" Sam questioned.</p><p>"Mm, you flirtin' with me, kid? 'Cause, no offense, but married men ain't my type." Billie drawled. "And I'm not looking to get friendly with the man who helped gut my boss."</p><p>"I'm sorry about Death." Sam apologized sincerely.</p><p>"So am I. But people are still dying, so… work to do, souls to collect… Messages to deliver." Billie replied vaguely.</p><p>Sam's brows furrowed curiously. "What kind of messages?"</p><p>"It's over," Billie answered firmly.</p><p>"What's over?" Sam questioned, getting slightly annoyed with the vague answers.</p><p>"You, Dean, and Angela… Dying and coming back again and again." Billie retorted. "The old death thought it was funny. But now there's one hard, fast rule in this universe. What lives… dies. So, the next time you, your brother, or your wife bite it, well, you're not going to Heaven… or Hell." She explained. "One of us—and, Lord, I hope it's me—we're gonna make a mistake and toss you out into the Empty. And nothing comes back from that. I know you're dying. I can feel it. You're unclean in the biblical sense. So I'll be seeing you again, Sam… Seeing you real soon. Name's Billie, by the way."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam walked by his computer, noticing that his veins were getting worse. Sam thought for a moment before he walked into the chapel located in the hospital.</p><p>"So… I know it's been a long time, but…" Sam started. "Dean, Angie, and I… we've—we've been through a lot of bad. But this is different. This is my fault, and I don't know how to fix it. And if I have to die, I've made my peace with that, but… Please. Dean and Angie deserve better. They deserve a life. There are people out there, good people, who are going to suffer because of me, and I am not asking you to clean up my mess." He prayed. "Hell, I don't even know if you're out there, but… If you are… And if you can hear me, I, um… We need your help, God. We need to know there's hope. We need a sign."</p><p>After a few moments, nothing happened, and Sam sighed defeatedly. Sam left the chapel and was walking down the hallway when he was struck by a vision of himself being tortured.</p><p>"What does that mean?!" Sam cried out into the empty hospital.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Form & Void Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean and Angela pulled up to Jenna's grandmother's house, and Jenna came outside to tell the two hunters about what was going on with Amara.</p><p>"Hey." Dean greeted. "Where's the kid?"</p><p>"We got another problem," Jenna replied.</p><p>"Figures." Angela scoffed lightly.</p><p>"I tried to stop her, but my grandma's real Catholic," Jenna started. "And after the crazy, she called her priest, who sent over an exorcist."</p><p>"Really?" Dean's brows shot up.</p><p>"Yeah." Jenna nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Jenna, Dean, and Angela walked into the house, only to find that the 'priest' was Crowley. The demon smirked up at the hunters as he sipped his tea.</p><p>"Hello, my children." He greeted smoothly.</p><p>"Crowley," Angela replied flatly.</p><p>"Father Crowley." He corrected smugly.</p><p>"Do you know each other?" Jenna asked curiously.</p><p>"Oh, we go way back, darling," Crowley replied vaguely.</p><p>"Can we talk to your outside… Father?" Dean narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"Of course." Crowley nodded. "After I finish my tea."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean, Angela, and Crowley stood outside of the house, away from Jenna and her grandmother.</p><p>"Really? Father Crowley?" Angela scoffed. "Really?"</p><p>"I'm sorry, aging pathetic, has-been rock star," Crowley sassed. "Did I offend your delicate sensibilities? Where have you been? Dean, your husband, and that idiot angel, do you know what they've been doing?"</p><p>"I've heard." Angela glanced at Dean.</p><p>"Everything?" Crowley raised his brows.</p><p>"Enough." Angela retorted.</p><p>"What are you doing here?" Dean demanded.</p><p>"Same as you—I'm working the case." Crowley shrugged.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"I have sources in the Catholic church—nuns that owe me a favor, priests with a taste for—</p><p>"Okay, all right, yeah, we can imagine." Dean stopped Crowley.</p><p>"You really can't," he muttered. "Anyhow, they hear of a demonic possession, they call me. If it's one of mine, I tell them to ignore it. If it's a, uh, demon gone rogue, well, that's when Father Crowley comes out to play."</p><p>"So, you think there's a demon in there," Angela replied.</p><p>"Not even a little bit." Crowley shook his head.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Whatever's in that house, I can taste the power radiating from it," Crowley explained. "That thing… it's old… deep… dark."</p><p>Suddenly, they all heard a blood-curdling scream come from inside the home.</p><p>"Jenna? Jenna!" Angela yelled as she and Dean ran inside.</p><p>"Well, hello, plot twist," Crowley muttered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Superior, Nebraska</em>
</p><p>Sam's illness has spread even further, and he was having trouble holding it together. He started hearing voices and his vision was fading in and out.</p><p><em>"Sam, Sam."</em> The voice called out. <em>"Sam. Sam."</em></p><p>"You're fine," Sam assured himself. "You're fine, you're fine, you're fine."</p><p><em>"You're unclean in the biblical sense."</em> Billie's voice hissed.</p><p>"Don't!" Sam shook his head.</p><p><em>"Don't do this to yourself. Don't do this to yourself. I'll die."</em> The voice said.</p><p>"Please, stop," Sam begged.</p><p><em>"I can't."</em> the voice replied. <em>"Don't do this to yourself."</em></p><p>"Please, stop," Sam repeated pleadingly.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Jen! Jenna!" Dean called out.</p><p>"Really?" Crowley asked.</p><p>"What?" Dean frowned.</p><p>"We have no idea what ancient, world-shattering evil we're dealing with, but go right ahead." Crowley scoffed. "Let him know we're coming!"</p><p>"Listen, Velma, this isn't the Scooby gang, okay?" Angela sassed. "So, either shut up or get out."</p><p>"Easy, Bambi. Just trying to help." Crowley replied as Amara started crying and the hunters walked away. "I'm way more of a Daphne."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela walked over to Amara's crib and opened her onesie, revealing the Mark of Cain on her collarbone. Angela flashed back to her conversation with the Darkness.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"<em>We're bound, Angela." The Darkness said. "We'll always be bound. We will always help each other."</em></p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Angie?" Dean called out, interrupting her thoughts. "You okay, kiddo?"</p><p>"The child likes you, Angela," Crowley commented. "No surprise, really. You're very maternal."</p><p>"We gotta find Jenna," Angela stressed.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Superior, Nebraska</em>
</p><p>As a last resort, Sam looked up Biblical purification and found that it could be done by burning holy oil. Stumbling over to his duffel bag, Sam pulled out the holy oil and soaked a piece of gauze in it. He then lit the gauze on fire and used a pair of tongs to hold it up to the black veins that covered him. To Sam's surprise, the black veins disappeared and he was cured of the infection.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam lured in more rabid people with loud music and started curing them with the burning holy oil as they came into the room. The rabids groaned and cried out as the Darkness burned out of them.</p><p>"Hey." Sam walked toward one of the women cautiously.</p><p>The woman looked up at Sam with sincerity. "Thank you."</p><p>"Let's go save the rest of them," Sam instructed.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean, Angela, and Crowley walked in to find Jenna in the bedroom, something off about her.</p><p>"Drama," Crowley muttered.</p><p>"Jenna? What are you doing?" Angela asked cautiously.</p><p>"My grandma collected these things," Jenna noted as she picked up a ceramic angel. "But I always thought they were so… Blah." She added as she dropped the figurine, shattering it. "Don't worry. She won't care. I cut her throat."</p><p>"Why did you do that?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"Because this woman doesn't have a soul," Crowley muttered, almost in awe. "Fascinating."</p><p>"What are you talking about?" Angela's brows furrowed. "How is that even possible?"</p><p>"Amara's hungry. She's a growing girl." Jenna smirked darkly.</p><p>"Jenna," Angela started. "Listen to me. Whatever's happened, whatever's going on, we can fix it, okay?"</p><p>"But I don't want to be fixed." She countered. "I like the new me. She's a ball."</p><p>"Just come with us, okay?" Dean asked as Jenna advanced toward them. "Jenna! Stop!"</p><p>Jenna prepared to attack Dean and Angela, but before she could harm them, Crowley killed her without blinking an eye.</p><p>"I was getting bored." Crowley shrugged.</p><p>"You killed her!" Angela yelled.</p><p>"You're welcome." Crowley retorted before walking out of the room.</p><p>"Where are you going?" Dean demanded.</p><p>"To see the child that eats souls," Crowley answered.</p><p>"You don't get what that thing is." Angela tried to stop him.</p><p>"Angie, what are you talking about?" Dean's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Enlighten us." Crowley urged. "Come on, darling. Don't be coy."</p><p>Angela paused for a moment. "I think Amara is the Darkness."</p><p>"Interesting." Crowley hummed. "So, what now? You kill her? You?"</p><p>"I don't have a choice," Angela replied.</p><p>"Please," Crowley shook his head. "Even if you could murder a baby, you couldn't murder <em>that</em> baby. I saw the way you looked at her. Me, on the other hand, it's not like it'd be my first."</p><p>"Oh, is that an offer?" Dean scoffed audibly.</p><p>"It's a promise—right after I'm done with her," Crowley replied.</p><p>"Stay away from her!" Angela yelled.</p><p>"Oh, Angela. Adorable little Angela." Crowley almost cooed. "I want that child, and I get what I want. You, Dean, and Sam don't understand. I'm not your blood sidekick! We've had some good times. So, I'm gonna give you once chance—just one—to walk out that door, or I'm gonna rip you apart atom by atom. Do you understa—Aah!" Crowley yelped in pain as Angela stabbed an angel blade through his hand, pinning him to the wall. "Bitch!"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela arrived home. Grace was asleep in Sam's arms, having been picked up from Jody's house on the way back to the bunker.</p><p>"Alright, I still don't understand," Sam started, confused. "I mean, I thought the darkness was a woman, not a child."</p><p>"Well, same here." Angela shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe whatever I saw wasn't real. Maybe it was a vision."</p><p>"Vision?" Dean's brows shot up.</p><p>"Yeah." Angela shrugged.</p><p>"Huh. Pretty weird." Sam replied.</p><p>"Yeah, weird with a weird cherry on top," Angela muttered.</p><p>"We got to get a maid," Dean commented as he took in the mess from the Styne family. "But you know, one with a-a little uniform and really big, uh…"</p><p>Dean trailed off and the three hunters noticed a very sick-looking Castiel sitting on the floor.</p><p>"Help me." The angel gasped out.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Bad Seed Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Angela, Sam, Dean, and Castiel sat at one of the tables in the Men of Letters library. Grace sat on Sam's lap, munching on a chocolate-chip cookie. As Sam spoke, Angela found herself deep in thought, thinking about the Darkness.</p><p>"So, that was the last of the neighbors, just like the rest." Sam finished. "Angie? Angie!"</p><p>"Yeah." Angela looked up at her husband.</p><p>"You okay, kiddo?" Dean asked concernedly.</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Angela assured unconvincingly.</p><p>Sam pursed his lips, not quite believing his wife. "I was just saying we got nothing. No one saw anything unusual going on at the house the day the baby disappeared."</p><p>"More cookie, dada?" Grace looked up at her father.</p><p>"Uh-uh, Peanut, no more cookies." Sam chuckled.</p><p>"If this truly is the Darkness, we're talking about, it's more of a time bomb than a baby," Castiel commented.</p><p>"Yeah, but it's still a baby, right?" Angela's brows furrowed. "I mean, the Darkness I saw was an adult. So, it still has to, uh, grow up."</p><p>"The Darkness is almost infinite power," Castiel replied. "I'm not sure what 'growing up' means in this case."</p><p>"Well, God kicked this thing's ass once before, right?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>"Yeah, it'd be nice if he put down the Mai Tai and show up for work." Dean scoffed loudly.</p><p>"I wouldn't count on it," Castiel muttered.</p><p>"It's possible he's around." Sam shrugged. "Closer than we think, you know?"</p><p>"What makes you say that?" Angela questioned her husband.</p><p>"I believe he made a fairly <em>definitive</em> statement when he walked away," Castiel noted as he stood up, causing the shackles to jingle.</p><p>"Sorry about those, Cas." Dean apologized. "Till we know what's going on with you, you're still a bit of a wild card, you know?"</p><p>"I hate to point this out." Sam started. "But you all know who we might need to help deal with the Darkness."</p><p>"Don't even say it," Angela warned firmly.</p><p>"He <em>was</em> God's scribe. He did hear about everything." Sam rationalized.</p><p>"That's just like saying that." Angela shook her head. "Cas, you alright, hon?" she asked in concern as the angel started convulsing.</p><p>"It's the spell." Castiel groaned in pain.</p><p>"We were hoping your angel wiring would fight it off or… slow it down at least," Sam muttered.</p><p>"It appeared I simply respond differently from humans," Castiel observed.</p><p>"If you were human, you'd be gone. With you, it's like it's digging deeper." Dean noted.</p><p>"You know, Rowena's the only one who can remove it." Sam sighed heavily.</p><p>"We're doing everything to find her, okay?" Angela assured. "But, so far, we got nothing."</p><p>"Well, it's getting worse," Sam whispered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela was on the phone and paced, clearly annoyed that Crowley wasn't answering. Sam, Dean, and Castiel watched from the table.</p><p>"Come on, Crowley." Angela groaned. "Pick up. I've left you a dozen messages. Why isn't he answering the phone?"</p><p>"Because he's a dick, baby, and that's not breaking news," Sam replied.</p><p>"He's gotta have Rowena in his sights, right?" Dean asked curiously. "I mean, she did try to take him out."</p><p>"He's not gonna deliver Rowena to us just so she can lift the spell," Castiel replied. "He'd rather let it do whatever it's gonna do to me."</p><p>Grace crawled off her father's lap and stumbled over to her mother, lifting her arms up. "Up, Mama, up!"</p><p>Angela picked Grace up and rested the toddler on her hip. "He's gotta be up to something."</p><p>"Yeah." Sam agreed. "Again, not breaking news. Metatron is also off the grid." He added before looking over at Castiel. "He stole your car in Blaine, Missouri, right?"</p><p>"Yeah," Castiel confirmed.</p><p>"Yeah, uh, no accidents, incidents, violations, or anything remotely interesting involving a crappy '78 Continental Mark V," Sam explained with a shrug.</p><p>Castiel frowned deeply, clearly offended. "You think it's crappy?"</p><p>"Eye of the beholder," Dean muttered.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam agreed.</p><p>"Don't listen to them, Cas." Angela rolled her eyes as she sat down and set Grace in her lap.</p><p>"A shut-in for centuries, former scribe of God. You wouldn't think he would be a good driver." Castiel shook his head.</p><p>"You know what? I'll look for unusual occurrences at places he might hang out." Sam replied. "Cas?"</p><p>"Places Metatron might hang out," Dean repeated, frowning in concern at Castiel.</p><p>"Um… I mean, he loves waffles." Castiel recalled. "You could try places that have those."</p><p>"Okay, so every restaurant in the entire country," Angela muttered. "Cas?"</p><p>Suddenly, Castiel started groaning in pain and fell out of his chair.</p><p>"Aah!" the angel yelled as he convulsed violently.</p><p>"Cas? Cas, hey!" Dean stood up and ran over to Castiel. "Easy! Easy! Cas?!"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela were leaning over Castiel, who had fallen out of his chair from the effects of Rowena's spell. Angela held Grace on her hip.</p><p>"Cas?" Sam asked concernedly. "Hey. Are you okay?"</p><p>"Relative to what?" Castiel retorted.</p><p>"You know where you are? What's the date?" Angela questioned the angel.</p><p>"Earth. Several billion years from the beginning." Castiel answered.</p><p>"Come on, buddy. Come up." Dean lifted Castiel up off the ground into a sitting position.</p><p>"It's like I was… inside a blender that was set to puree for a tomato salsa," Castiel muttered.</p><p>"And you're the tomato?" Dean tilted his head.</p><p>"In this analogy, yes." Castiel nodded.</p><p>"Yeah." Dean pursed his lips.</p><p>"Cas, what was that?" Sam's brows furrowed. "You scared the crap out of us."</p><p>"I blacked out for a lot of it. But I… I don't know." Castiel shook his head. "It overwhelmed me. I-I couldn't control it."</p><p>"Let's get him up," Dean told Sam. "Come on, come on. Here you go. We gotta find that witch."</p><p>"Yeah." Sam and Angela greed.</p><p>"What can I do to help?" Castiel grunted.</p><p>"No, no, no, you just, uh, sit there and take a breather, try and put yourself back together," Angela instructed.</p><p>"Okay." Castiel conceded. "I'll do my best. It's… It's difficult with these voices."</p><p>Sam's brows furrowed in concern. "Now there are voices?"</p><p>"Are these voices telling you to hurt someone?" Dean stepped back cautiously.</p><p>"No." Castiel shook his head. "I'm—I'm hearing angel radio. It's a lot of chatter. They're… They've been looking for me ever since I escaped, as well as scouring the Earth for the perp." He explained, earning confused looks from the hunters. "It's slang for 'perpetrator.'"</p><p>"Ah." Dean pursed his lips.</p><p>"Yeah, thank you." Angela chuckled. "Um, a-any… 'perp' in particular?"</p><p>"Metatron," Castiel answered. "They're doubling the effort to find him, so… If we need to get hold of him, we better do it soon."</p><p>"Yeah, before the God squad does." Dean sighed. "Alright, well, first things first."</p><p>"Listen to this," Sam started as he looked at his laptop. "Maybe something here. Uh, in Denver, three women were at this Café Elta, when their waiter, for no apparent reason, stabbed and killed one. One survived and the third vanished after furniture seemed to slide around by itself. What do you think?"</p><p>Angela pulled out her phone with her free hand and dialed. "Hi, who's your lead on the Café Elta investigation?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Denver, Colorado</em>
</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela walked into the police headquarters, dressed in their FBI apparel. Sam carried Grace as they walked into the interrogation room, where one of the women who met with Rowena was being held in.</p><p>"Thanks," Angela told the officer.</p><p>"Agents, here you go." The officer replied.</p><p>"We got it. Yep." Dean replied before the officer left, shutting the door behind him.</p><p>"Hello." Sam greeted the woman.</p><p>"So, ladies lunch goes south when a waiter, who reeks of sulfur, attacks with a blade, killing one of you, while the redhead who invited you yells something in Latin, disappears and the furniture forms a pile." Dean recapped. "That about right?"</p><p>"Uh-huh." The woman nodded.</p><p>"Any idea why a demon would wanna attack three witches?" Angela interrogated.</p><p>The woman shifted in her chair slightly. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."</p><p>"Right." Sam pursed his lips. "The waiter was possessed by a demon assassin who was gunning for Rowena, since she tried to kill her son Crowley, who just so happens to be the King of Hell."</p><p>"Why do I think you're not FBI like the police said?" the woman narrowed her eyes skeptically.</p><p>"Let's cut to it," Angela started. "The cops say that you're so scared, you don't wanna leave here. Well, you should be, 'cause Crowley's not only going after Rowena, he's going after every witch that she hangs with."</p><p>"I-I'm no witch." The woman stammered.</p><p>"Sure, you are. And your pal Rowena, she's recruiting a new coven. Hmm?" Dean raised his brows.</p><p>"You can't do this. I have rights." The woman retorted.</p><p>"And I have a fake badge." Dean winked.</p><p>"Look at this," Angela started as she dumped out the contents of the woman's purse. "Chicken bones. Hex bags. A pentagram."</p><p>"Still sticking with, uh… Not a witch?" Sam quirked a brow.</p><p>"Abite, ab oculis meis—</p><p>"Ah, ah, ah, ah." Dean stopped her. "Listen, before you finish what you're about to say, know that we are the only thing between you and Crowley's ninjas."</p><p>"But I didn't try to hurt him." The woman reasoned. "I mean, I am nobody. I-I'm worse than nobody. I-I'm nobody's third cousin who doesn't even get invited to dinner."</p><p>"We don't care." Sam retorted. "We just need to know where Rowena is."</p><p>"I have no idea." The woman replied honestly.</p><p>"But you do know how to scry, is that right?" Angela questioned.</p><p>The woman's brows furrowed slightly. "Scry? What's that?"</p><p>"Exactly what you know it is," Sam replied. "A locating spell. When you witches use crystals and then prisms and mirrors to divine images of who you're trying to find."</p><p>"We're trying to get our hands on Rowena," Angela added. "Okay, now with her out of the picture, Crowley has no reason to go after you. You got it?"</p><p>"I don't have my crystals." The woman sighed heavily.</p><p>Dean picked up a cosmetic mirror from her bag. "Oh. Well… This ought to work, huh? I'll get the light."</p><p>"Ostende mihi illum quem quaero." The woman chanted. "I see her. She's packing a bag."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Bad Seed Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rowena came out of a brick building, disguised in a blonde wig, carrying her suitcases toward a yellow taxi.</p><p>"Airport," she started. "And be careful with the bag. They're antiquities." She added, feeling a presence behind her. "Abi!"</p><p>Angela groaned in pain as she was suddenly thrown against a nearby brick wall.</p><p>"Just my way of giving you the finger… Mrs. Winchester." Rowena smirked. "I don't suppose you're here to thank me for removing the Mark of Cain, which, by the way, you're welcome. Let's just take things up a notch. What do you say?"</p><p>Seemingly, out of nowhere, Sam came from the side and put the magic canceling handcuffs on Rowena. Dean rushed over to Angela with Grace in his arms.</p><p>"I think you'd know by now, Samuel, these things don't hold me long." Rowena chastised.</p><p>"I just need to hold you long enough." Sam retorted.</p><p>"Well, they do say blondes have more fun." The witch chuckled.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>While Grace was back in her bedroom, Sam, Dean, and Angela were in the dungeon with Rowena. Dean and Angela were chaining Rowena to the chair while Sam searched her luggage.</p><p>"Mind the undergarments, Samuel," Rowena warned. "Imported, of course."</p><p>"Where is it?" Sam demanded.</p><p>"Where is what, dear?" Rowena tilted her head.</p><p>"The book!" Sam snapped. "The Book of the Damned. The codex is in there, but the book is not. So, where the hell is it?"</p><p>"Do you take me for a fool?" Rowena asked incredulously. "Like I'd run around with those two spectacularly powerful items anywhere in proximity."</p><p>"Well, now we've got the codex and Charlie's code-breaking, so the book isn't as useful to you as it was," Sam replied.</p><p>"Or so you hope." Rowena chuckled. "That's what I admire in you, Samuel. That plucky optimism. That plucky, stupid optimism."</p><p>"Sam, why don't you grab Cas, so Florence Nightingale here can do her stuff?" Angela suggested.</p><p>"Hmm." Rowena hummed.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded, walking out of the dungeon.</p><p>"You do recall our deal, eh?" Rowena quirked a brow. "First I de-spell the angel, then I go free."</p><p>"Mm, except for one thing." Angela pursed her lips.</p><p>Rowena narrowed her eyes. "The book was never mentioned in our negotiations."</p><p>"Well, now it is." Dean shrugged.</p><p>"Our deal says—</p><p>"Our deal says whatever I want it to say." Angela interrupted. "You're gonna play by our rules because I have your son on speed dial."</p><p>"Call him." Rowena threatened. "If I'm dead, you've got a big fat pile of nothing. And your friend with the bent halo? He goes foaming-at-the-mouth mad and dies. Your turn!" she snapped. "Your eyes… So burdened. What happened precisely when I removed the mark? The book wasn't specific. Yes, I read quite a bit of it. What new hell has Angela Winchester unleashed upon the world?"</p><p>"Angela! Dean!" Sam called out as he ran back into the dungeon.</p><p>"Yeah?" Dean and Angela asked simultaneously.</p><p>"Hey, I can't find Cas." Sam breathed out.</p><p>"What?" Dean frowned.</p><p>"He's not there," Sam answered. "He—he—he broke free. He's gone."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, Rowena, and Grace were in the Impala. Rowena was sat in the backseat next to the toddler, who held her baby doll.</p><p>"So absurd, driving in circles looking for your unhinged angel." Rowena rolled her eyes.</p><p>"We're not driving in circles, alright?" Dean retorted. "We're locked onto his phone's GPS. We're tracking his location."</p><p>"I have no idea what you just said, but I'm sure I could do it faster," Rowena muttered.</p><p>"Yeah, maybe you could," Sam agreed. "But you would have to do a spell, which means we would have to take the cuffs off, and we are not going to take the cuffs off."</p><p>Rowena scoffed. "There's no trust? Are we not a team?"</p><p>"No." the three hunters replied in unison.</p><p>"No!" Grace mimicked from her car seat.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Are road trips with these two strapping lads usually this tedious, Angela?" Rowena mused. "Shall we have a wee sing-song?"</p><p>"No." the three hunters repeated in unison.</p><p>"No! Grace giggled.</p><p>"Oh lord, looks like she's starting her 'no' phase," Angela muttered, earning a chuckle from Sam.</p><p>"I have myself to blame." Rowena sighed dramatically. "Should never make deals with Winchesters, since they seem unable to hold up their end of the bargain?"</p><p>Angela's brows furrowed in confusion. "Meaning what?"</p><p>"Oh, just that thing between Sam, Dean, Crowley, and myself." Rowena shrugged nonchalantly.</p><p>"What?" Angela looked between Sam and Dean. "What's she talking about?"</p><p>"Oh, surely, you knew they made a deal with me to kill my son if I removed the Mark of Cain from your arm." Rowena's brows shot up. "Well, is the mark gone? Yes. Is Crowley dead? No." she glared. "Mm. Oh, she didn't know? She didn't know!"</p><p>"Look, baby, we were gonna tell you." Sam defended. "Obviously, nothing ever came of it, so I-I figured there was no point, you know?"</p><p>"No point, huh?" Angela shook her head.</p><p>"I-I mean, I see what Angela's saying. Your wee pal Castiel wouldn't be in this pickle if you'd done what you'd promised." Rowena shrugged. "I would've had no reason to cast the attack dog spell if Crowley were already dead. Excellent point."</p><p>"It's not my point." Angela shook her head. "Sam and Dean know my point. Keyword—secrets."</p><p>"Ah, well, I'm just glad I got the conversation flowing." Rowena smiled a fake smile. "Family relations <em>are</em> a specialty of mine."</p><p>"Hey," Sam looked down at his phone.</p><p>"Did he stop?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Yeah, he stopped. And he's close."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela got out of the Impala. Sam took Grace out of her car seat as Dean and Angela pulled Rowena along.</p><p>"Come on," Dean commanded. "Alright, he's gotta be around here somewhere."</p><p>"I'll head up the street," Angela suggested. "You guys head the other way."</p><p>"Are you joking?" Rowena scoffed. "I'm in heels."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela walked down the road when she heard the crates being smashed around. She followed the sound to the nearby warehouse and walked up to the door.</p><p>"Cas!" Angela yelled as she entered the warehouse. "Cas! Don't do this. Okay, this isn't you. It's the spell. Cas… let her go."</p><p>Castiel finally let the young woman go, albeit reluctantly.</p><p>"Go!" Angela told the woman, who sprinted away. "Go, go, go. Hey. Okay, okay. It's gonna be okay, Cas, alright?"</p><p>Angela groaned in pain as Castiel attacked her violently. Before Castiel could harm her any further, Rowena, Sam, and Dean showed up, Sam carrying Grace.</p><p>"Desiste." Rowena chanted.</p><p>"Do we need to remind you these are witch-killing bullets?" Dean held up his gun. "Finish it!"</p><p>"Yes, yes, alright," Rowena muttered. "Adlevo onus tuum."</p><p>"Cas? Cas?" Angela asked warily. "Hey. Hey, hey, hey. Come on. Come on. Yeah. Hey."</p><p>"Permitte telum. Abi!" Rowena chanted, making it so that the hunters couldn't move.</p><p>"Rowena!" Sam roared angrily.</p><p>"Impedi!" she retorted. "I'm sure you had every intention of honoring our deal. But why take chances?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean, Angela, and Castiel sat at the table in the bunker's command center. Sam walked in after putting Grace to bed, a beer in his hand for Angela, who had an ice pack being applied to the side of her bruised face.</p><p>"Kid, you need to keep applying that," Dean told her.</p><p>"Thanks, mom." Angela sassed as she took the beer from Sam. "Thank you, baby."</p><p>"Angela, I…" Castiel shook his head guiltily. "There aren't words."</p><p>"You're right. There aren't words, Cas, 'cause there's no need." Angela assured. "You were under a spell. It's fine."</p><p>"Yeah, but you had Rowena," Castiel replied. "Because of me, you…"</p><p>"You know, Cas, we've got the codex." Sam shrugged. "That's a start. You know, it'll slow Rowena down some. If we'd killed her, the Book of the Damned would've been lost."</p><p>"Besides, we got bigger fish to fry." Dean sighed heavily.</p><p>"The Darkness." Castiel nodded. "What does she want?"</p><p>"Well, the big question is, where the hell is she?" Angela mused.</p><p>"Angela, I can fix that." Castiel gestured toward her injuries.</p><p>"No, no, no. No, no." Angela shook her head in denial. "It's fine, Cas. Besides, I had it comin'."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Baby Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Dean was in the garage of the bunker, washing the Impala. Grace stood next to him, 'helping,' which meant that she was playing with the bucket of water. Sam and Angela walked in, hand-in-hand.</p><p>"Hey." Sam greeted his brother.</p><p>"Hi, Dean," Angela started, smiling when she saw her daughter. "There's my girl."</p><p>"Hey." Dean greeted the couple.</p><p>"Mommy! Daddy!" the toddler squealed happily, running to her parents.</p><p>"Dude, what's up with the shorts?" Sam laughed heartily as he picked Grace up.</p><p>"It's a free bunker." Dean retorted. "Have you guys found anything?"</p><p>"Not on the Darkness." Angela shook her head.</p><p>"What about Metatron?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"Still in the wind." Sam shrugged. "No leads."</p><p>"Great." Dean rolled his eyes. "So, we have an ancient evil out there somewhere, just getting stronger by the day."</p><p>"Cas is getting better, so there's that," Sam replied. "Still wants to fix Angie's, uh—</p><p>"I said I'm fine, babe." Angela interrupted. "Fine. 100-percent."</p><p>"Alright." Sam conceded with a sigh. "Well, he's not. He still needs some more time to heal."</p><p>"Well… Guess we got nothing to do but get better." Dean muttered. "I don't know about you guys, but… I've got some serious cabin fever. I've washed every car in here twice."</p><p>"Well, I may have found us a case. I mean, it's thin—</p><p>"Hey, thin works." Dean interrupted his brother. "Tell us on the way."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela sped down the highway, rain pelting down on the Impala. Grace was back at the bunker with Castiel, who was feeling well enough to look after her.</p><p>"Figures." Dean shook his head at the rain. "Alright, let's hear it. What do you got?"</p><p>"Okay, uh, Quaker Valley, Oregon, a town outside of Eugene," Sam started. "Dwayne Markham, the local sheriff was found in the woods a couple of days ago. His body was mauled, so they chalked it up to an animal attack, but I'm thinking—</p><p>"Werewolf." Angela interrupted.</p><p>"Yeah, maybe," Sam muttered.</p><p>"Yeah, you're right." Dean pursed his lips. "That <em>is</em> thin."</p><p>"Yeah." Sam agreed. "Probably nothing, right?"</p><p>"Probably not." Dean nodded. "Oregon, here we come."</p><p>Sam reached back and took a smoothie out of the green cooler that was in the backseat and started slurping.</p><p>"Ooh, I want a sip." Angela batted her eyelashes up at her husband.</p><p>"What is that?" Dean shot the drink a disgusted look.</p><p>"It's a smoothie." Sam shrugged as Angela sipped from the drink.</p><p>"Where's the beer?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"Under the smoothies." Sam shrugged.</p><p>Dean narrowed his eyes. "Where's the <em>rest</em> of the beer?"</p><p>Suddenly, Sam's phone started ringing, effectively saving Sam from his brother's complaining.</p><p>"Ooh, it's Cas. We gotta—we gotta—</p><p>"Man!" Dean shook his head.</p><p>"I gotta get this," Sam muttered. "Hey, Cas. Everything all right?"</p><p><em>"Yeah, I'm fine."</em> Castiel's voice rang through. <em>"I've been reading up about the other cases in the area that you're headed to while Grace naps. I haven't found anything yet that matches."</em></p><p>"Cas, you've got one job to do and that's to heal. Well, that and look after Grace," Angela replied firmly. "You understand?"</p><p><em>"I can help,"</em> Castiel argued.</p><p>"Yeah, of course, you can, Cas, but right now is the time for you to focus on getting better," Sam explained. "This is just a milk run. We got it. So… Try and relax."</p><p><em>"Alright."</em> Castiel huffed.</p><p>"Read a book, watch some Netflix," Sam told the angel.</p><p><em>"What's a Netflix?"</em> Castiel asked, confused.</p><p>"Go to mine and Sam's room, turn on the TV. You'll figure it out." Angela replied. "Maybe watch a movie with Grace."</p><p><em>"Alright."</em> Castiel conceded. <em>"Just call if you need anything."</em></p><p>"Got it, Cas. Thanks." Dean said before the angel hung up.</p><p>"You think he's gonna be okay?" Sam asked concernedly.</p><p>"He just needs some time, you know?" Dean replied. "We all do."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Later that night, Dean pulled up outside a sketchy looking bar that was called the 'Roadhouse.' Sam groaned as Dean parked the Impala. Angela rested her head on Sam's shoulder sleepily.</p><p>"Are you serious?" he asked his older brother. "Dee, it's late. Angie and I are exhausted and—and—starving. And this place… I mean, Swayze wouldn't come to this roadhouse."</p><p>"Okay, first of all, <em>never</em> use Swayze's name in vain. Okay? Ever." Dean reprimanded. "Second, you don't remember this place? You don't remember Heather? The hunter that we worked a wendigo case with a couple of years ago?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah…" Sam recalled vaguely.</p><p>"Yeah, exactly," Dean smirked.</p><p>"What, she's here tonight?" Angela quirked a brow.</p><p>"I texted her. She's working a rugaru case in Texas." Dean answered. "Actually, she never texted me back. That's not the point. The point is, is that we have a ton of driving left to do just to go to a town where there's probably not a case. But in there…" Dean smirked. "Good times. And time heals all wounds, guys, especially good times. What do you say?"</p><p>"I say, knock yourself out." Sam chuckled. "Angie and I are gonna find a diner, dig into the lore like Cas did, see if anything's ever happened where we're headed."</p><p>"Oh, man," Dean rolled his eyes dramatically. "You two really gotta learn to have fun. Seriously, it's pathetic."</p><p>Angela lifted her head off of Sam's shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Dean childishly. Dean let out a laugh and closed the driver's door, leaving the couple alone.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The Impala was still parked outside the Roadhouse early that morning. Dean stumbled out the door, clearly hungover, and the building's neon signs turned off as he got into the Impala.</p><p>"Mistakes were made. Mm-hmm." He mumbled to himself.</p><p>"Dean?" Angela mumbled sleepily as she sat up in the backseat.</p><p>Dean turned around, immediately covering his eyes when he realized that Angela didn't have clothes on. "Angie! What the hell?!"</p><p>"Dean?" Sam asked as he sat up, attempting to cover Angela up. "U-um… g-good morning."</p><p>"Sorry, guys," Dean smirked as he lowered his hand from his eyes. "I didn't, uh, realize—</p><p>"Yeah." Sam interrupted. "Yeah, uh, could you give us a minute?"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, Sammy, I got it." Dean chuckled as he opened the driver's door. "You kids take your time."</p><p>"Babe, where's my hairpin?" Angela asked her husband.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean put in a tape as the Impala peeled out of the Roadhouse parking lot as Angela buttoned up Sam's flannel that she had taken.</p><p>"Dean, we can explain what was going on—</p><p>"No, no, no." Dean interrupted Angela as Bob Seger's <em>'Night Moves'</em> started playing.</p><p>"Don't <em>'Night Moves'</em> us!" Sam exclaimed.</p><p>"Shh." Dean hushed. "Just let it wash over you."</p><p>"Let…"</p><p>"Just take it in," Dean told his brother, a smirk plastered on his face.</p><p>"This is ridiculous." Sam shook his head.</p><p>"One of the greatest rock writers of all time, Samuel." Dean retorted.</p><p>"It's Sam." He corrected as he pulled Angela onto his lap.</p><p>"<em>Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy." </em>Bob Seger sang.</p><p>"Out in the back seat of my brother's '67 Chevy," Sam sang off-key, earning a giggle from Angela and a look from Dean.</p><p>"You started this, Dean!" Angela laughed.</p><p>"Here we go. Come on." Dean grinned.</p><p>"Workin' on our night moves!" the three hunters sang in unison.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela were eating takeout in the Impala and laughed together over some silly joke.</p><p>"Next time I choose. Hey…" Sam reached over for the wheel.</p><p>"Hands off the wheel." Dean slapped his brother's hand away.</p><p>"You're not even looking at the road." Angela chastised.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Digging into the lore." Dean broke the silence as he drove down the dark highway. "Is that what the kids are calling it these days?"</p><p>"With everything that's been going on, and Gracie getting older…" Angela trailed off. "This is the first time in a <em>long</em> time that Sam I could, <em>you know</em>… with no interruption."</p><p>Sam pressed a kiss to his wife's temple. "Yeah, we both needed that."</p><p>"Yeah, I was worried your virginity would grow back, Sammy." Dean teased.</p><p>"Yeah, you know what? You're—you're an idiot." Sam laughed.</p><p>"Even put a blanket down." Dean grinned, almost proudly. "Buddy, classy and thoughtful as always."</p><p>Angela leaned up and kissed Sam deeply. "I picked a good one."</p><p>The three hunters fell into a comfortable silence, Sam deep in thought.</p><p>"Dean, do you ever… want something more?" the younger Winchester broke the silence.</p><p>"Seriously?" Dean scoffed. "Dude, you and Angie are like, a once-in-a-lifetime story."</p><p>"Don't you want something, with, like, another hunter?" Angela asked softly. "Somebody who understands the life?"</p><p>"You guys are tired. I can tell." Dean scoffed lightly. "Well, I'm still wired, so I'm gonna pull over, get some gas. You two hop in the back, get some Z's, 'cause, you earned 'em."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Sam woke up slowly, his head resting against the window. Sam frowned a bit when he noticed that Judy Collins' 'Someday Soon' was playing on the radio.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What are you listening to?" Sam mumbled groggily.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Your mom used to love this song." A young John Winchester replied.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sam sat up immediately, now on high-alert. "Dad?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You okay, pal?" John quirked a brow. "You look a little spooked. It's nice to be back behind the wheel. Looks like Dean's taken good care of this old beast. Seems like he's taken good care of you, too."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What is this? Another vision?" Sam's brows furrowed in confusion.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Are you having visions, son?" John asked Sam.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Don't call me that." Sam retorted.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What?" John scoffed. "A father can't call his—</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No, my father is dead." Sam cut him off.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"When has death ever stopped a Winchester?" John chuckled deeply.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Look, I don't know what this is, but—</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I never wanted this for you boys. This life." John admitted. "Not really."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sam's face softened a bit at that. "We turned out okay."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You did, didn't you?" John nodded. "But that was on you boys. You did that, not me."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Well, you played your part." Sam shrugged.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I did my best, anyway, for what it was worth," John explained.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"This isn't real." Sam shook his head.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>John sighed heavily, realizing that Sam wasn't buying this. "I never could fool you, could I?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I prayed when I was in that church, and I saw… Something." Sam explained. "And now, here you are, whoever you are, whatever you are. What the hell is this?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Dream. Vision. Call it whatever you want." John shrugged. "The message is still the same. The Darkness is coming… And only you boys and Angela can stop it."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Okay, fine. How?" Sam questioned. "We need help, not visions of dead people."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"God helps those who help themselves." John quoted.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Who are you?" Sam narrowed his eyes.</em>
</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam woke up from his dream to find that Dean has pulled over and parked the car. Angela lied on top of Sam in the backseat.</p><p>"Look who's awake." Angela smiled at her husband.</p><p>"Welcome to the Winchester Motel." Dean rummaged in the cooler. "We don't have cable, but we do… have room service." He handed a beer to his brother. "You were singing in your sleep, that song mom loved that dad used to always play for us. I think I've actually still got the tape."</p><p>Sam moved to sit up in the seat, positioning Angela so that she was sitting on his lap. "Hey, baby, um… You said when you saw the Darkness, you weren't sure whether it was, uh… the real thing or a vision, right?"</p><p>"Mm-hmm." Angela hummed as she ran her fingers through Sam's hair.</p><p>"I think I've been having visions, too, lately," Sam admitted. "I mean, it's just images. I mean, more of a… feeling, really. But I just had one right now, and—and Dad was in it. But it wasn't dad like—like… the dad that—that I grew up with. It was dad when he was our age. And I-I guess it wasn't even really dad. It was someone pretending to be dad and—</p><p>"Okay, what makes you say that?" Dean interrupted.</p><p>"For starters, he told me everything I wanted to hear," Sam replied.</p><p>"Yeah, that doesn't sound like dad," Dean muttered.</p><p>"No." Sam agreed. "Anyways, whoever it was… They had a message to deliver. They said the Darkness is coming, and… only we can stop it."</p><p>"Did they have him give you any helpful tips on how to do that?" Angela asked curiously.</p><p>"He said, 'God helps those who help themselves.'" Sam recalled. "I mean, maybe these visions are coming from God."</p><p>"Whoa. Pump the brakes." Dean stopped his brother.</p><p>"I mean, guys, the first one happened after I prayed." Sam sighed heavily.</p><p>"You prayed? When was this?" Angela's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Back at the hospital," Sam admitted.</p><p>"Why?" Dean questioned.</p><p>Sam paused for a moment, debating what he should say next. "Because I was infected. I <em>was</em> infected. I'm not anymore. I-I-I never went full rabid. I…"</p><p>"You get infected and you didn't even tell us?" Angela frowned at her husband.</p><p>"Baby…"</p><p>"What did you pray about?" Angela demanded.</p><p>"I guess I was just looking for answers, you know?" Sam shrugged.</p><p>"Well, I'm sure whatever is kicking around in your head right now is a side effect from the infection you failed to tell us about," Dean muttered.</p><p>"You know, I don't think it's that simple." Sam pursed his lips.</p><p>"Come on, man. That quote? 'God helps those who help themselves'?" Dean scoffed. "God didn't say that. That's not even in the Bible. That's an old proverb that dates way back to Aesop." He explained, earning surprised looks from Sam and Angela. "I read. And more importantly, when was the last time God answered any one of our prayers? It's not a vision, Sam. Alright? It's just some… Some fever dream. That's all. And as far as dad goes, I dream about dad all the time."</p><p>"You do?" Sam's brows furrowed slightly.</p><p>"Of course, I do." Dean shrugged. "It's usually the same one, too. We're all in the car. I'm sitting in the driver's seat, dad's sitting shotgun. But there aren't any shotguns. There's no monsters. There's no hunting. There's none of that." He explained. "It's just… He's teaching me how to drive. And, uh, and I'm not little like I was when he actually taught me how to drive." He recalled. "I'm 16, and he's helping me get my learner's permit. Of course, you're in the backseat, just begging to take a turn. We pull up to the house—the family house—and I park in the driveway, and he looks over and he says, 'perfect landing, son.' I have that dream every couple of months. Kind of comforting, actually."</p><p>"I have dreams about my dad, too," Angela added softly. "Pretty regularly, to be honest."</p><p>"I always, uh… I dream about mom." Sam murmured. "Usually the same kind of thing, too."</p><p>"Normal life?" Dean quirked a brow.</p><p>"Yeah. Normal life." Sam nodded. "But, this wasn't just a dream. I'm telling you guys."</p><p>"Why would somebody dress up like Dad to give you a message?" Dean questioned. "I mean, Dad. You don't exactly have a history of listening to what he had to say."</p><p>"But Angie said the Darkness is—is sending messages to her." Sam shrugged. "Maybe whatever is the opposite of the Darkness is sending messages to me."</p><p>"And you think that this thing is God?" Angela's brows furrowed. "Come on, baby. How many—how many opportunities has God had to crack this piñata, and I don't see any candy on the floor, do you?"</p><p>"Okay, then maybe it's not God." Sam sighed heavily. "But, uh…"</p><p>"I know what you're trying to do here, Sammy. You're trying to find some greater meaning to it all." Angela replied. "Right? Some… Fate to what went down. But I'm telling you, Sam. The Darkness? It's on us. And no one's gonna help us, certainly not God, so we'll have to figure this thing out, like we always do. But until then… We hunt. This case for starters, course this case is…"</p><p>"It's probably nothing." Sam pursed his lips.</p><p>"Yeah, probably nothing." Dean agreed.</p><p>"Goodnight, jerk," Sam told his brother. "Goodnight, baby."</p><p>Angela leaned down and kissed Sam softly. "Night, baby. Goodnight, Dean."</p><p>"Night, bitch," Dean smirked at his brother. "Goodnight, Angie."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Quaker Valley, Oregon</em>
</p><p>Dean waited in the Impala, waiting for Sam and Angela to leave the sheriff's station.</p><p>"Hey." The couple greeted as they got into the car.</p><p>"The coroner showed me the sheriff's body." Dean started. "And, uh, it was mauled all right. And get this—heart missing, body completely drained of blood."</p><p>"So, what?" Angela's brows furrowed. "We're looking at a-a werewolf/vampire hybrid?"</p><p>"Say it with me," Dean smirked. "A were-pyre. Huh?"</p><p>"No." Sam deadpanned.</p><p>"Come on." Dean urged.</p><p>"We're not saying that." Angela scoffed.</p><p>"Whatever." Dean rolled his eyes dramatically. "I called Cas, told him to look into the lore. What do you guys got?"</p><p>"Right, well, uh, the sheriff's replacement—Deputy Donnelly—he's not the brightest bulb, but we got a copy of his report," Sam explained. "Maybe he missed something."</p><p>"Agents," Donnelly strolled over to the Impala.</p><p>"Deputy." Dean greeted.</p><p>"These must be your partners. Agents Walsh and Frey, right?" Donnelly asked. "Pleasure to meet you both. I just want to thank you three for stoppin' by. We really appreciate your due diligence."</p><p>"Oh. Actually, uh, do you know a motel where we can crash for the night?" Dean asked curiously.</p><p>"You're stayin'?" Donnelly questioned.</p><p>"Yeah, just wanna kick all the tires." Angela nodded.</p><p>"Well, uh, there's a motel on Downey that'll give you a good place," Donnelly suggested. "And if you're looking for a decent meal, you can't beat Aunt Mel's, down by the train station. Parking is a bitch, but it's the best damn steak in the whole state."</p><p>"You had me at steak." Dean grinned eagerly.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Baby Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam, Dean, and Angela pulled up to the steakhouse, Dean clearly the most excited out of the three of them.</p><p>"Oh, alright. Now we're cookin' with gas." Dean muttered, his smile falling as he read a sign. "Valet? You—what?"</p><p>"Dean, people valet park all the time." Angela chuckled.</p><p>"Come on, live a little," Sam added with a smirk, earning an eye roll from his brother.</p><p>Dean reluctantly rolled down the driver's side window, a slight pout on his face.</p><p>"Welcome to Aunt Mel's," Jessie greeted. "Home of the—</p><p>"Yeah, listen, uh," Dean peered at her nametag. "Jessie, not a scratch, okay?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>After about an hour or so, Sam, Dean, and Angela stood outside the restaurant, waiting. Jesse parked the Impala and handed Dean the keys quietly.</p><p>"Strong work, Jessie. Strong work." Dean nodded.</p><p>"Thanks." She forced a smile as they got in the car.</p><p>"So, what's next?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"I want to, uh, talk to the sheriff's widow," Sam answered. "Lily Markham. Maybe she knows something about why her husband was out in the woods in the first place."</p><p>"Alright, well, I'll drop you and Angie off," Dean suggested. "I wanna go back to the woods where they found the body. Something wasn't right about those crime scene photos."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean pulled up to the crime scene when suddenly his phone started ringing.</p><p>"Cas, you okay?" Dean answered, putting him on speaker.</p><p><em>"I'm mostly confused,"</em> Castiel replied. <em>"I'm not sure how orange correlates with black in a way that's new."</em></p><p>Dean rolled his eyes dramatically. "Step away from the Netflix."</p><p><em>"Sorry."</em> Castiel apologized.</p><p>"It's okay." Dean chuckled lightly. "We've all had a binge. You find anything in the lore?"</p><p><em>"Well, there is a creature that feeds on hearts and blood,"</em> Castiel confirmed.</p><p>"A were-pyre, you might say?" Dean asked. "Come on, I know you wanna say it."</p><p><em>"In the lore, it's referred to as a 'Whisper.'"</em> Castiel explained.</p><p>"That's lame," Dean mumbled.</p><p><em>"Silver will kill it, but you may want to decapitate it just to be sure,"</em> Castiel added.</p><p>"Alright, sounds good. I'm at the crime scene now. It was staged. The body was dragged." Dean noted as he walked around. "There were no signs of struggle."</p><p><em>"Body was moved there to look like an animal attack?"</em> Castiel inquired.</p><p>"Yeah, maybe," Dean muttered. "It was pretty sloppy, though. You, uh… What else you got on these things?"</p><p><em>"Listen to this,"</em> Castiel started. <em>"Whispers have a fascinating history."</em></p><p>"Hang on," Dean put his phone back in the Impala.</p><p><em>"They're—they're…"</em> Castiel trailed off. <em>"Actually, they were once believed to be in the bloodline of werewolves, but in fact, they are more similar to demons."</em></p><p>"Deputy," Dean greeted as Donnelly walked over.</p><p>"What's going on, Agent?" Donnelly asked curiously.</p><p><em>"They, uh, they got their nickname from how quiet their attacks are,"</em> Castiel noted. <em>"Because of their stealthiness, they've, uh, lived on the fringes for centuries. Although there were several that were hunted and killed during the Salem witch… Wait a minute. Okay, according to this, Whispers only feed during the solar eclipse. Uh, so, Dean, I-I don't believe what you're hunting is a Whisper."</em></p><p>"Aah!" Dean yelled in pain when Donnelly suddenly attacked him.</p><p><em>"Must be another creature of some kind,"</em> Castiel commented. <em>"Okay. Fine, I'll say it. Maybe it is your so-called 'were-pyre.' But to be honest, I have never heard… Of a creature with that name. Dean, what is that?"</em> he questioned when he heard grunting. <em>"Dean? Dean, are you all right? I hear gunshots. Dean! Dean? Dean!"</em></p><p>Dean climbed back into the Impala, breathing heavily. "Ah, it turns out I did shoot the deputy."</p><p>
  <em>"Wait, Dean, is—is everything—</em>
</p><p>"The deputy was a were-pyre." Dean interrupted. "Silver bullets worked."</p><p><em>"No, Dean, listen… According to the lore, the timing is off."</em> Castiel explained. <em>"The next solar eclipse in North America is years away. It can't be a—</em></p><p>"Hang on," Dean cut the angel off as he got out of the Impala.</p><p><em>"Dean, wait. Listen, it couldn't be… Dean?"</em> Castiel asked concernedly.</p><p>"Scratch that," Dean breathed out. "You gotta cut their…"</p><p>Donnelly's decapitated head growled up at Dean, clearly surprising him.</p><p><em>"Dean, it's not a Whisper,"</em> Castiel stressed.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm starting to get that." Dean retorted. "Give me a second," he added as he wrestled Donnelly's head into the cooler. "Alright. Th—Alright, that… Okay. Smile, asshat. Alright, Cas, you there?"</p><p><em>"Of course."</em> He assured. <em>"What's going on?"</em></p><p>"Well, whatever it is, silver slows it down. I, uh, I'm sending you a picture right now… Of its fangs." Dean explained. "I-I've never seen anything like it. See if there's a match in the lore, would ya?"</p><p><em>"I'm on it,"</em> Castiel replied.</p><p>Dean hung up with Castiel and dialed Angela's number.</p><p><em>"Dean, we got jumped,"</em> Angela answered breathlessly.</p><p>"You guys okay?" Dean asked worriedly.</p><p><em>"I think… For now."</em> Angela assured. <em>"Pretty sure we're dealing with a pack here. Uh, two of these things were attacking Mrs. Markham when we arrived. W-we filled them with silver, but it only slowed them down."</em></p><p>"Yeah, well, Deputy Dumbass is one of them as well," Dean added. "He's, uh, he's in two pieces and still alive. Where you guys at now?"</p><p><em>"Mrs. Markham was knocked out. W-w-we got her to the house nearby."</em> Angela explained. <em>"Here, I'll text you the address now."</em></p><p>"Alright, you guys sit tight. I'm on my way." Dean replied. "Everybody's getting' jumped."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Angela, and Dean drove with an unconscious Mrs. Markham in the backseat.</p><p>"Door was open when we got to the house," Sam started. "By the time we searched through it, they'd already beaten her unconscious."</p><p>"Maybe she knew someone or something about what happened to her husband." Dean theorized.</p><p>"So, what, they tried to take her out while the deputy went back to the scene?" Angela's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Yeah, he went to fix it up. Found me." Dean replied as his phone started ringing. "Hey, Cas, tell me you got something that doesn't involve chicks in prison."</p><p>"Bet you never thought you'd say that out loud." Sam laughed.</p><p><em>"It's a Nachzehrer,"</em> Castiel answered.</p><p>"Come again?" Angela asked curiously.</p><p><em>"A ghoul and vampire-like creature."</em> Castiel clarified.</p><p>"A ghoul-pyre!" Dean exclaimed. "Right?"</p><p><em>"Some breeds feed on the flesh of the dead,"</em> Castiel explained. <em>"Others feed on the blood and hearts of the living. They run in small packs, but they usually keep an extremely low profile."</em></p><p>"Great. So, how do we kill 'em?" Dean questioned.</p><p><em>"Well, they're already dead. So, in a manner of speaker, they just need to be reminded that they're dead."</em> Castiel explained. <em>"You need a Charon's obol."</em></p><p>"Of course." Sam realized. "Yeah, in ancient Greece, uh, when a person died, some people believed you had to put an obol, or a-a coin, in their mouth so they can use it as currency to be taken across the river to the underworld."</p><p><em>"Right, you place a coin in a Nachzehrer's mouth, then sever their head, and that will kill them,"</em> Castiel added. <em>"And according to the lore, if you kill the pack's Alpha, everyone they've turned will revert back to human form."</em></p><p>"Awesome. Alright, where do we find an obol?" Dean asked.</p><p><em>"Well, according to the Men of Letters' records, you're gonna need a copper coin,"</em> Castiel answered. <em>"They used to use pennies, so you'll need one of those."</em></p><p>"Yeah, but one minted pre-1982," Sam replied. "So, before 1982, pennies were 95% copper. Since then, they're only copper-plated zinc."</p><p>"Wow." Dean scoffed. "Your nerdiness knows no bounds."</p><p>"You're welcome." Sam retorted.</p><p>"Alright, well, thanks, Cas. Good work." Dean told the angel. "Way to come off the bench."</p><p><em>"What bench?"</em> Castiel asked, confused.</p><p>"Just get back to getting better, okay?" Angela replied. "And tell Gracie that we love her."</p><p>Sam rummaged through his pockets and shook his head. "Got nothing."</p><p>"Well, yeah, I mean, who carries pennies these days anyway?" Dean muttered.</p><p>"We'll be right back," Angela replied as they pulled up to a convenience store.</p><p>"Yeah." Dean nodded as Sam and Angela got out of the car. "Mrs. Markham?" he asked as she woke up in the backseat. "Mrs. Markham. It's okay. I'm Dean Winchester. My—my brother Sam and—</p><p>"Where am I?" she interrupted, looking around frantically.</p><p>"You were attacked by the same people that killed your husband," Dean replied gently.</p><p>"My husband." She repeated softly.</p><p>"Now, do you know something about what happened to him? Maybe that's why these people attacked you?" Dean asked gently, only getting a headshake from Mrs. Markham. "Okay. Well, we're gonna take you someplace safe, all right? And then we're gonna kill these sons of bitches."</p><p>Mrs. Markham opened the cooler, only to find the deputy's decapitated head. She screamed loudly, getting Dean's attention.</p><p>"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dean stammered. "I could—uh, I could explain that. Well, maybe not. Uh, it's like the thing that attacked you, okay? It's—it's a ghoul-pyre." He explained. "The point is, it can't hurt you anymore. At least, I don't think it… Let's… you know what? Let's just get rid of it. Here we go. Okay, alright. See? There we go. You okay?"</p><p>"Your family," Mrs. Markham started. "You do anything for them, don't you?"</p><p>"Absolutely. Yeah, but not if it costs too much." Dean chuckled.</p><p>"No. You do everything for them." She muttered. "Everything else is meaningless. But I did it wrong. Now I've ruined everything."</p><p>"This isn't your fault," Dean assured.</p><p>"I put my family at risk. They were right to attack me. But I know how to make it right." She said before lunging at Dean, causing him to groan in pain. "Where is it?! What did you do with the maker's body?! You're gonna tell me or I will end you!"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Mrs. Markham knocked Dean unconscious and drove away with him constrained in the backseat. They parked at the crime scene where Dean had left the deputy's body.</p><p>"See? That wasn't so hard." Mrs. Markham commented as she got out of the car and started stitching the deputy's head to his body. "Now I know what to do with you. I can make this right; I can make this right; I can make this right; I can make this right; okay. See? I fixed it. You're okay."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Deputy Donnelly and Mrs. Markham drove with Dean still in the backseat.</p><p>"I know you're awake," Donnelly said. "I know you're a hunter."</p><p>"And I know you're a Nachzehrer." Dean retorted. "The maker, right? The pack Alpha?"</p><p>"Well, maybe you're not as dumb as you look." Donnelly laughed.</p><p>"Thought you and yours like to keep a low profile," Dean recalled.</p><p>"Sadly, rookies like Lily here aren't up to snuff when it comes to keeping their feeding quiet," Donnelly explained.</p><p>"So, you killed your husband?" Dean asked Mrs. Markham.</p><p>"He wouldn't join us." She defended. "People who don't join are food. But I messed up, and I… I didn't bury him right."</p><p>"It's my fault, really," Donnelly admitted. "You weren't properly trained. But everyone deserves a mulligan, don't they? That's all my people were trying to do, Lily. They weren't going to kill you. Hell, I need you. I need all the help I can get."</p><p>"How many have you turned?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"In the first hundred years? Three." Donnelly answered. "In the last month? 16."</p><p>"What, are you trying to field a baseball team?" Dean scoffed.</p><p>"It's like I said," Donnelly shrugged. "I need help, every strong hand I can find. And I need an army to fight the Darkness. Oh, it's comin', for all of us. There's nothing hunters or any human can do about it."</p><p>"Do you know how to stop it?" Dean asked.</p><p>"I don't think anything can stop it." Donnelly shook his head. "I'm just tryin' to buy some time, so I'm turning as many strong men and women as I can. Your brother and his wife will make fine additions to the rank and file. While you slept, I sent them a text message from your phone. Oh, they're heading into a trap right now. You'd make a good soldier, too, but you cut off my head, and I can't stand for that. Don't worry. I'm an every part of the buffalo kind of guy. Your death won't go to waste. You'll be your brother's and his wife's first meal."</p><p>Dean managed to find Angela's hairpin and undid the handcuffs stealthily. He then grabbed Donnelly and they crashed into a nearby roadblock.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>After Dean crashed the Impala, he fought with both Mrs. Markham and Donnelly. Dean found the purse that Jessie's friend left and shoved a handful of pennies down Donnelly's throat before severing his head.</p><p>"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry," Dean muttered as he climbed into the front seat.</p><p>"Oh, my God." Mrs. Markham gasped as her humanity was restored. "What have I…, My kids. My kids. They turned my kids. They're with the others. Please."</p><p>"Sam. Angie," Dean muttered. "Yeah, yeah. Come on," he tried to start the car. "Come on. Come on. Come on, baby. Yeah!" he exclaimed as the engine rumbled. "There we go. Ahh. Hang on."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Mrs. Markham pulled up to Where Sam, Angie, and the others were being held.</p><p>"Mom!" one of the kids yelled as they got out of the car. "You okay?"</p><p>"Probably nothing, right? Everybody all right back there?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Uh, yeah." Angela nodded. "They all changed back. So, it was deputy dumbass, huh?"</p><p>"Mm. Yeah, deputy dumbass." Dean confirmed. "You know, he was trying to build an army."</p><p>"Yeah, we know, to fight the Darkness," Sam replied. "Even the monsters are scared."</p><p>"Well, let 'em be." Dean shrugged as they got in the Impala. "We're gonna end this thing right now."</p><p>"Would you mind starting tomorrow?" Sam asked.</p><p>"Deal." Dean nodded.</p><p>"Deal," Sam muttered as he wrapped an arm around Angela.</p><p>"We'll get Cas to fix you boys up," Angela noted.</p><p>"Only if he fixes you up, too, baby," Sam replied.</p><p>"Okay." Angela relented. "Let's go home."</p><p>"You know what?" Sam pursed his lips. "We are home."</p><p>"Come on. Come on." Dean tried to start the car. "Ahh. There's my girl."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Thin Lizzie Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Sam and Dean were sitting at the table in the library when Angela walked in with Grace on her hip.</p><p>"Hey," she started. "Don't suppose you've got a 20 on the Darkness."</p><p>"Uh. Well, I thought I had something earlier." Sam muttered. "Half a town flipped their gourds and started attacking people. But it turns out they'd eaten rabid possum meat."</p><p>"Okay, they do realize that possum is a giant rat, right?" Dean scoffed.</p><p>"It's a marsupial." Sam corrected.</p><p>"Huh?" Dean frowned.</p><p>"Not the point." Angela cut in. "What else do you got?"</p><p>"Check this out," Sam turned the laptop around. "Um, a couple was ax murdered in Fall Rivers, Massachusetts at… wait for it… The Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast Museum."</p><p>"A B&amp;B and a museum," Dean muttered. "Yeah. That doesn't sound like a tourist trap at all."</p><p>"I mean, the thing is the inn was Lizzie Borden's <em>actual</em> house," Sam explained. "In 1892 she hacked up her mom and stepdad there. Or allegedly hacked them up. She was acquitted and spent the rest of her days in Fall Rivers hounded and persecuted by the townspeople."</p><p>"So, you're thinking revenge killing," Angela replied, earning a shrug from Sam. "Why now? It was probably some psycho fan who's seen too many slasher flicks."</p><p>"Could be, but the inn was locked up," Sam argued. "No signs of entry or exit. Half a dozen guests. None of whom saw or heard any intruders."</p><p>"Well, maybe the murderer was actually competent," Dean suggested before realization hit him. "Wait a minute. I know what this is."</p><p>"What? What is what?" Angela's brows furrowed in confusion.</p><p>"This has something to do with Sam's freaky <em>fetish</em> for serial killers." Dean teased with a smirk.</p><p>"It's <em>not</em> a fetish." Sam denied with a shake of his head.</p><p>"You've <em>always</em> wanted to see that house!" Dean exclaimed.</p><p>"Two people are dead. In Lizzie Borden's home." Sam stressed. "We got no leads on Amara. I say we check this out." He added as he closed his laptop and stood up. "Besides, the entire Borden clan are buried in Fall Rivers. Including Lizzie."</p><p>"I'll have to call Jody to see if she can look after Grace," Angela replied. "What do you want to do about Cas?"</p><p>"Oh, he's knee-deep binge-watching The Wire. Just started Season 2." Sam chuckled.</p><p>"Oh, he's not coming out any time soon." Dean pursed his lips. "All right."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Fall Rivers, Massachusetts</em>
</p><p>The Impala pulled up to the quaint B&amp;B and the three hunters got out and walked into the museum.</p><p>"So, I guess now Lizzie Borden has her own doll," Sam commented.</p><p>"Yeah, went a little overboard on the crazy eyes," Angela muttered.</p><p>Mason, the innkeeper, was nearby talking on the phone.</p><p>"No, it's absolutely not a crime scene anymore." He assured. "The room's been cleaned and you're not even on the same floor. There's no reason to cancel!"</p><p>The person on the other end hung up and Mason sighed dejectedly.</p><p>"People still freaked out about the murders, huh?" Dean asked as they walked over.</p><p>"Some find it exciting. Can I help you three?" Mason perked up slightly.</p><p>"Yeah," Sam started. "We'd read about the tragedy and I'm a bit of a history buff. I just wanted to ask, do you think the killings had anything to do with Lizzie Borden? I mean her ghost, or whatever?"</p><p>"Probably some crazed fan broke in, right?" Angela shrugged.</p><p>"These are great questions," Mason grinned. "Ones we usually answer for our <em>paying</em> guests."</p><p>"Right," Sam cleared his throat and pulled out his wallet.</p><p>At that moment, Mason's mother, Mrs. Kemper, entered the room yelling at Mason.</p><p>"Mason!" Mrs. Kemper stormed over. "You forgot to cancel the bakery order!"</p><p>"Mom!" Mason snapped. "I'm with customers!"</p><p>"$200 worth of Danish and no guests to eat it!" Mrs. Kemper scoffed loudly.</p><p>"These guys can put away a few." Mason gestured to Sam and Dean.</p><p>"This is coming out of your paycheck!" Mrs. Kemper warned as she stormed away.</p><p>Mason sighed heavily. "Of course it is."</p><p>"Whew! Working with family can be tough." Dean noted, earning funny looks from Sam and Angela.</p><p>"Twenty years," Mason muttered. "You'll have your pick of rooms."</p><p>"We'll take the one the couple was in," Sam replied.</p><p>Mason's brows furrowed in confusion. "The deceased couple?"</p><p>"Mm-hmm." Angela nodded. "We came a long way to see some ghosts. We figured there's the most unrest there."</p><p>"Uh, we're not renting that room right now. Out of respect." Mason explained.</p><p>Angela took out her wallet and pulled some more cash out, sliding it over to Mason.</p><p>"But you gotta get back on that horse some time." Mason shrugged as he counted the money. "Lucky. We redid the room."</p><p>"Great." Sam nodded. "And now that we're paying guests… Did you hear or see anything unusual that night?"</p><p>"Not till we heard the screams. I told mom to stay downstairs and I ran up there." Mason recalled. "Oh, God. The blood."</p><p>"And who was the couple?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"Local kids. Nothing special about the girl." Mason replied. "But the guy, he was a descendant of the original Bordens."</p><p>"Hm. Thanks." Sam nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela walked into the room where the two local kids were murdered.</p><p>"I don't know where to put my eyes." Dean cringed. "I think I'm gonna throw up."</p><p>"We're surrounded by doilies. They're everywhere." Sam added.</p><p>"Okay," Dean huffed when he saw the lone queen-sized bed. "You think the innkeeper might have mentioned this before he ripped us off."</p><p>"Well, I guess you're gonna have to get yourself another room because this was Lizzie's original room and we're not giving it up," Sam replied before looking at Angela expectantly. "Right, Angie?"</p><p>"Sure, Sammy." Angela relented, chuckling softly.</p><p>"What are you, four?" Dean rolled his eyes at his brother.</p><p>Sam turned on the EMF detector and it started warbling immediately. "Look at that. That jives with what people online have been saying about the upstairs. Crying in empty rooms. Footsteps. Buzzing lights."</p><p>However, the warbling stopped suddenly when Sam walked into the closet.</p><p>"Hmm," he hummed quizzically. "No secret panels or passageways in the closet."</p><p>"Well, the world's smallest bathroom is clean," Dean commented as he and Angela stepped out of the bathroom.</p><p>"What's that smell?" Angela coughed in disgust.</p><p>"I think it's this. It's like lavender toilet water." Sam answered as he squeezed the perfume sprayer.</p><p>"Bottled toilet water?" Angela scoffed as Sam squeezed the sprayer again. "Why do you keep spraying it?!"</p><p>"I just wanted to see if the squeezy this worked," Sam mumbled.</p><p>"Wow." Dean shook his head.</p><p>"I think it was supposed to be perfume or something." Sam shrugged as he set the bottle down.</p><p>"Alright," Dean pursed his lips. "I think I'm gonna go check the rest of the inn 'cause now I've got grandma all over me. So…"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>After Dean left, Sam and Angela walked out of the room. Sam held the EMF meter and strangely, it stopped warbling when they were a few steps away from the door to their room.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Angela walked down various hallways of the hotel, and the EMF meter started to max out when they stopped in front of a door that said, <em>'STAFF ONLY.'</em></p><p>Angela tried the doorknob, cursing when she found that it was locked. Sam handed her the lock-picking kit and she picked the lock, letting the door creak open. Sam and Angela each took out their flashlights and walked into the room.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean walked into one of the rooms and looked around at the various artifacts, including a framed and mounted ax. He scoffed audibly at the Lizzie Borden house t-shirt. As he looked at an information brochure, the electricity started crackling and the lights flickered.</p><p>Dean put the brochure back and moved a chair to stand on and began to tap one of the blinking lightbulbs. Suddenly, he noticed a strange flash of light from a nearby window and got down from the chair. Another bright flash blinded him, and he banged on the window.</p><p>"Hey! Hey!" Dean yelled.</p><p>The man outside, Len, was startled by Dean and ran away clumsily with his antique camera and tripod.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Angela were in the attic of the building and the EMF meter continued warbling. Sam turned it off and pocketed the EMF meter so he could grab a large stick he found in the attic. Angela frowned when she heard an electrical humming and pulled off a cover, revealing an EMF generator.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela were all back in the motel room.</p><p>"Yeah. No Lizzie in the attic," Angela started. "But, we did find a homemade EMF generator. Turned that beast off and what do you know? No more signal."</p><p>"Shocker," Dean replied sarcastically. "The, uh, flickering lights? Wired to timers buried in the walls."</p><p>"Come on!" Sam groaned.</p><p>"Oh, and check out this baby." Dean took a picture of Lizzie Borden off of the wall. "Eh? Covering up our very own sound system. I, uh, fished this out of the wall."</p><p>Dean showed Sam and Angela a tape recorder and pressed play. A crying, moaning sound played on tape, and Sam scoffed audibly.</p><p>"Crying in empty rooms," Sam muttered.</p><p>"And there's more. Running footsteps. Uh, creepy whispers you can't make out." Dean explained. "One flushing toilet. Not sure what that's about. The whole place is a hoax, man. It's a tourist trap just like I said."</p><p>"Yeah." Sam sighed, disappointed. "But we still don't know how that couple got axed. I mean, how did the killer get in and out?"</p><p>"I don't know." Dean shrugged. "Why don't we Sherlock that over a beer or something and a lobster roll? I got to get out of this doily coffin."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Angela were looking at Mrs. Kemper's body and Angela replaced the cover over Mrs. Kemper's face.</p><p>"Thanks." Dean nodded at the coroner.</p><p>"Detective Madsen?" Sam asked as he walked over. "Agent Collins."</p><p>"You weren't Feds earlier!" Mason exclaimed from his chair.</p><p>"Well, um," Sam started. "My partners and I were undercover. Investigating the original murders."</p><p>"Where the hell were you when my mom was being… oh." Mason started to sob.</p><p>"I'm so very sorry, Mr. Kemper." Sam apologized sincerely.</p><p>"We're gonna find the son of a bitch who is doing this." Detective Madsen assured.</p><p>Nearby, Dean pulled out the EMF meter stealthily, scowling when it stayed silent.</p><p>"He had just finished locking up." Detective Madsen explained. "No one was inside but him and Mrs. Kemper. Staff went home hours ago."</p><p>"And no suspects for the first murders either?" Sam asked, brows furrowed.</p><p>Detective Madsen shook his head as Dean and Angela walked over.</p><p>"Hi, I'm, um Agent Hastings and this is Agent Gabriel." Angela introduced.</p><p>"Listen, I saw a guy hanging around earlier snapping some photos and he ran away when I tried to make contact," Dean explained.</p><p>Detective Madsen huffed and rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, short, chunky, baby faced?"</p><p>"Yeah, that's him," Dean confirmed.</p><p>"Huh." Detective Madsen chuckled. "Yeah, that's Len. Total teddy bear. I went to high school with him, he was <em>obsessed</em> with ghosts but harmless."</p><p>"Ghosts?" Angela quirked a brow. "Hm. Is that a real issue around here?"</p><p>"According to the Chamber of Commerce, absolutely." Detective Madsen nodded.</p><p>"Alright." Sam pursed his lips.</p><p>"I'll send an officer to Len, get a statement from him." Detective Madsen assured.</p><p>"You know what? You guys got your hands full. We'll, uh, we'll drop by." Sam suggested. "Thanks."</p><p>"You betcha." Detective Madsen nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela sped down the road toward Len's house later that day.</p><p>"Well, so far we got squat that says ghost," Dean noted. "Or anything remotely us."</p><p>"So, maybe it's not our usual kind of gig?" Sam suggested. "Maybe we're dealing with a serial killer?"</p><p>"Oh. Yeah. You'd love that, wouldn't you?" Dean teased.</p><p>"Dean." Angela reprimanded lightly.</p><p>Suddenly, Sam's cell phone started to ring, and he picked it up.</p><p>"Agent Collins," Sam answered.</p><p><em>"This is Detective Madsen,"</em> his voice rang through. <em>"There's been another victim."</em></p><p>"Really?" Sam frowned deeply.</p><p><em>"Accident in the next county. I'm there now."</em> Detective Madsen explained.</p><p>"No, thanks for letting us know," Sam replied.</p><p>
  <em>"You're welcome."</em>
</p><p>Sam ended the call and sighed heavily. "Another ax vic. This one miles from the B&amp;B."</p><p>"Lizzie left home," Angela commented.</p><p>"Apparently." Sam agreed. "Alright. I'll take the crime scene, you guys take Len."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Who found the body?" Sam asked as he walked into the Pensky home.</p><p>"Babysitter was home with the kid. Found the dad in the driveway." The police officer answered.</p><p>"Geez," Sam muttered. "Thanks."</p><p>"I heard Jeordi's dad pull up outside and then there was this shout," Sydney started. "I went to look and I saw the blood before I saw him. I thought someone had spilled paint."</p><p>"And what about before?" Sam asked gently. "I mean, did you notice anything out of order? Uh, a sound? Smell? There's no detail too small."</p><p>"No." Sydney shook her head. "It was like any other night."</p><p>Jeordi's mother walked into the home and Jeordi immediately ran to her for comfort.</p><p>"Mom!" he cried.</p><p>"Jeordi, are you alright?" Mrs. Pensky asked before looking at Sydney. "Did he see anything?"</p><p>"No," Sydney replied. "He was inside the whole time."</p><p>"Ma'am?" Sam cut in. "Agent Collins, with the FBI. I understand this is a terrible time, but, if you could manage, I'd like to ask you a few—</p><p>"You need to get out of my house. That's what you need to do." Mrs. Pensky interrupted firmly.</p><p>"Of course." Sam nodded. "Uh, we can do this tomorrow."</p><p>"Get out!" she yelled at Sam.</p><p>Sam just cleared his throat and left quickly, definitely confused.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Meanwhile, in Len's mobile home, Dean and Angela were there talking to him.</p><p>"Well, I didn't expect to see her here," Dean commented as they looked at all the Lizzie Borden memorabilia.</p><p>"Well, gotta live your bliss." Len shrugged.</p><p>"Yeah. Boy, you are a Lizzie Borden…" Angela trailed off. "I don't think fan covers it."</p><p>"That's super-fan. And curator." Len corrected.</p><p>"Hm." Dean hummed. "And is that what you were doing that night at the B&amp;B? Uh, curating?"</p><p>"Oh, I—I, uh—</p><p>"Len, it's best just to go with the truth here." Angela cut him off.</p><p>"I was trying to get a picture of Lizzie's ghost," Len admitted.</p><p>"And is that what I saw you with?" Dean pointed at an antique camera.</p><p>"Yeah." Len nodded. "It's a… It's what the Victorians used for spirit photography."</p><p>"Uh-huh," Angela muttered. "And have you captured any Casper's on that thing?"</p><p>"Well, I've seen Lizzie at her house," Len explained. "She's this whispy, gray shadow. But she never shows up on film. Maybe I should go high-def."</p><p>"Why not go inside?" Angela quirked a brow curiously.</p><p>Len shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not exactly allowed at the inn anymore. There's a minor restraining order. And there's a gag order not to talk about the restraining order. But you're Federal agents."</p><p>"Buried the lead there a little, Len," Dean replied. "Why don't you tell us about the restraining order?"</p><p>"It was Lizzie's 155th birthday and I couldn't get Lizzie's room so I stayed in the basement. For a couple days." He explained. "Weeks! I wasn't bothering anybody."</p><p>"So, it's safe to say that you know the inn pretty well," Angela noted. "Let me ask you, did anything about tonight strike you as weird?"</p><p>"Just him banging on the window." Len nodded at Dean as his computer beeped. "Oh, God, nod." He groaned. "I'm supposed to lead a live chat about the ax murders in Fall Rivers. I'm not Lizzie CNN."</p><p>"Yeah, I don't know why anyone would think that," Dean muttered sarcastically.</p><p>"I'll close it down. Be right back." Len replied.</p><p>"Okay." Dean nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Four ax murders in two days and no leads." Detective Madsen shook his head. "The whole town's panicking like it's the purge."</p><p>"Yeah, not the whole town," Sam muttered, looking at the exterior of the home. "Mrs. Pensky doesn't seem too broken up over the fact that her husband was butchered in her driveway."</p><p>"You saw the body. She's in shock." Detective Madsen shrugged.</p><p>"Still," Sam replied.</p><p>"People have freaky-ass reactions to loss." Detective Madsen muttered.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Thin Lizzie Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean and Angela were looking around Len's home and Angela's brows furrowed when she noticed a drawing of the Mark of Cain lying on the coffee table.</p><p>"Dean," Angela whispered, pointing to the slip of paper.</p><p>"What the hell?" Dean frowned in confusion.</p><p>"Where did you see this?" Angela picked up the drawing and showed it to Len.</p><p>Len's eyes shifted slightly as he tried to think of an answer. "U-uh, a site about ghosts? The paranormal?"</p><p>"Len, you might be the <em>worst</em> liar we've ever met." Angela narrowed her eyes as she walked toward Len threateningly. "Tell me where you've seen this symbol. I'd take you down to the station and ask you there. But then we'd have to involve the police, your restraining order."</p><p>"Okay." Len swallowed nervously. "Okay, uh… I was outside Lizzie's house a couple nights ago trying to catch a picture of her."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Len stood outside of Lizzie Borden's home with his camera when he noticed an adolescent girl looking into one of the windows. She turned to face Len and he flinched, obviously startled.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Oh, for a second I thought you were…" Len trailed off. "Never mind. Are you lost or staying at the inn?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I wish I were. I want to see where Lizzie axed her folks." The girl replied enthusiastically.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Oh, well, uh… You're looking at it. Half of it." Len explained. "That's where they found Andrew Borden slumped over the couch in the sitting room." He added. "I'm sorry. How old are you?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Poor Lizzie." She muttered, ignoring the question. "I've been reading up on her. Her parents sucked."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I totally agree!" Len gushed. "Lizzie has been so misunderstood by history. It's pretty obvious her uncle had the stronger motive and opportunity."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Oh, no. Lizzie definitely hacked them. You can see it in her eyes." The girl smirked darkly. "Serial killer eyes."</em>
</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"I ditched her quick after that," Len recalled.</p><p>"And you didn't tell the police?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"A, restraining order?" Len reminded. "B, what am I supposed to say? I was hanging out talking murder with a little 12-year-old girl in the middle of the night?"</p><p>"Where does the symbol come in?" Dean pressed.</p><p>"She had it on her shoulder," Len replied with a shrug. "I don't know if it was a scar or a birthmark."</p><p>"What did this girl look like?" Angela demanded.</p><p>"Um, a girl," Len answered obviously. "Amara. That's what she said her name was." He added, noticing that Angela stiffened. "You know her?"</p><p>Angela turned around, biting her nails. "You said she was 12?"</p><p>"Maybe a little younger or older," Len replied. "Who is she?"</p><p>"She's a runaway." Dean lied smoothly.</p><p>"Do you know where Amara is now?" Angela turned back to face Len. "Is she still in town?"</p><p>"I don't know." Len shook his head. "Why are you looking for her?"</p><p>"We're not at liberty to discuss that." Angela pursed her lips.</p><p>Len grabbed Angela by the shoulders, clearly shaken up. "You <em>have</em> to tell me. Please. I <em>need</em> to find her!"</p><p>"Hey," Dean shoved Len off of Angela. "Hands off of her."</p><p>"Why do you need to find her?" Angela demanded.</p><p>"You won't believe me," Len replied vaguely.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>"Okay. Well, uh, enjoy your Lizzie fest." Len turned to leave when suddenly Amara grabbed him. "Oh, hey. No touching. I—I never touched you."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Amara took Len's face in her hands and sucked his soul out. After she was finished, Len staggered back into the windows, clearly freaked out.</em>
</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Len sat on his couch, recalling the encounter. "I don't know what that girl did to me. But I haven't been right since. I can't eat. Or sleep. I don't dream. And all the things I used to love, my Lizzie blog, the ghost conventions. They leave me cold." He explained. "I put this whole collection on eBay last night. Now it belongs to some machinist in Ohio."</p><p>"Well, what about super-fan, curator living the bliss?" Dean's brows furrowed in confusion.</p><p>"Just playing the part of what I used to be," Len admitted. "You know, fake it till you make it." He chuckled weakly. "Or feel it."</p><p>"So, is that what you were doing at the inn tonight?" Angela questioned. "Faking it?"</p><p>"No," Len shook his head. "I was looking for Amara. I want her to put me back. I've always been odd. And quirky. But I had a life, friends. And now… I remember how to talk to people, what to say. But I feel like I'm acting. Going through the motions. I'm like a robot puppet man."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela and Dean stood outside of Len's house talking to Sam on the phone.</p><p><em>"Wait? Amara was here? How?"</em> Sam's voice rang through.</p><p>"Oh, and the real crazy? Apparently, she's like, 12." Angela replied.</p><p><em>"What?"</em> Sam asked, even more confused. <em>"How's that even possible?"</em></p><p>"It ain't Wheaties she's eating, I can tell you that much." Dean scoffed.</p><p><em>"Meaning?" </em>Sam asked.</p><p>"Len," Angela sighed. "He's not doing so hot. We think Amara sucked out his soul."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam met Dean and Angela outside of Len's house, the three of them now standing near the Impala.</p><p>"So, Amara's growing like a radioactive weed?" Sam raised his brows.</p><p>"Yeah." Dean nodded. "By stuffing her face with souls."</p><p>"Does that mean she's getting more power, too? And for what?" Sam questioned.</p><p>"I don't know." Angela shook her head. "That tsunami's gonna hit us sooner or later. We'll deal with what we can deal with. All these spent shells Amara's leaving behind."</p><p>Sam's brows furrowed slightly. "You don't think Len's our Lizzie Borden, do you?"</p><p>"No." Dean shook his head. "We talked to his neighbors. And except for me seeing him at the B&amp;B, he's been here all night."</p><p>"So, we can't kill him because he hasn't done anything yet," Angela added.</p><p>"Angie, we don't want to kill him." Sam reminded sternly. "We want to save people. Remember?"</p><p>Angela snapped her fingers. "Right. The new rules. Why hasn't he offed anybody? I mean, it took Jenna all of walking downstairs to slit her grandmother's throat."</p><p>"I don't know," Sam muttered. "Maybe not everybody that gets their soul sucked out turns into a killer."</p><p>"Or maybe he just hasn't got around to it yet," Dean argued. "Alright. Well, I think the best thing is we stick close until we figure out how to help him out. Which starts by you telling him he's got no soul."</p><p>"Me?" Sam asked incredulously.</p><p>"Yeah." Dean nodded.</p><p>"Why do I have to do it?" Sam complained.</p><p>"Well, you have been there, baby." Angela reasoned. "You speak the language. He doesn't even know he's been hoovered yet."</p><p>"Well, yeah." Sam huffed. "But you and Dean have a better relationship with him than I do."</p><p>"Yeah, but you're better with that whole sensitive verbal massage." Dean retorted.</p><p>"There is no sensitive way to tell somebody their soul's been sucked out by a prehistoric tween!" Sam exclaimed.</p><p>"Shh, shh, shh, shh." Dean hushed his brother.</p><p>"And even if Len does believe us, is that supposed to make him feel better?" Sam added.</p><p>"Fine." Angela relented. "Probably couldn't handle the truth right now anyway. He's a little fragile right now. Okay." She sighed heavily. "Well, great. Looks like we're babysitting a 30-year-old man."</p><p>"There may be someone else Amara got to as well," Sam noted.</p><p>"Our hatchet man." Dean nodded.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam pursed his lips. "So, the murders started right around the time Len saw Amara, right? Well, the wife of the last victim, Donna Pensky, had this bizarre reaction to hearing her husband died… like she couldn't care less. It was kind of the way I felt the whole time I was soulless."</p><p>"Oh, yeah, trust me, I remember." Angela shuddered at the memory.</p><p>"You were one chilly droid," Dean added.</p><p>"Anyways, the detective thinks it's shock." Sam replied. "But I think it may be mom lost her soul and picked up an ax."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam rang the doorbell at the Pensky house while Dean and Angela sat in the Impala with Len in the backseat. Dean looked at Sam, who just shrugged when no one answered the door. Sam took out his cell phone and dialed Sydney's number.</p><p><em>"Hello?"</em> Sydney's voice rang through after a few rings.</p><p>"Sydney," Sam greeted as he walked toward the Impala. "This is Agent Collins. I'm trying to find Mrs. Pensky. Do you have any idea where she might be?"</p><p><em>"Um, no,"</em> Sydney replied. <em>"She, um, didn't mention anything. Dawn didn't want me to come over today."</em></p><p>"Sydney, you are part of a Federal murder investigation. You do not want to hold anything back from us." Sam warned.</p><p><em>"Okay,"</em> Sydney sighed. <em>"There might be one place where she might be. Dawn has a friend, Nate. A special friend."</em></p><p>"Yeah, I'm reading your mail," Sam replied, urging her to continue.</p><p><em>"Look, I'm no trying to get Dawn in trouble,"</em> Sydney told Sam.</p><p>"You have an address?" he questioned.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Kitten videos, chicken and waffles, eucalyptus scent. I don't care for it anymore." Len babbled endlessly as they drove. "Used to swoon for dark, curly hair. Kind of like yours." He told Angela. "Now, not so much. Do you think I had a stroke? Or maybe it's a brain tumor. What's really freaky is all the stuff that used to make my skin crawl now seems… eh."</p><p>The Impala pulled up to the quaint house and Dean cut off the engine, rolling his eyes at Len's constant talking.</p><p>"I couldn't shake a guy's hand before. God, that wetness." Len continued. "Now I could like the sweat off a stranger's—</p><p>"Okay!" Dean snapped.</p><p>"Yeah. Any body part." Len stressed. "I'm serious. I feel <em>weird,</em> man."</p><p>"Weird, how?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>"Like, something's hatching inside of me. Something dark. With wings." Len explained.</p><p>Len noticed Dean and Angela looking at Sam knowingly.</p><p>"What?" Len asked worriedly.</p><p>"Nothing," Angela replied firmly.</p><p>"But you and Dean looked at Sam like you guys know what's wrong with me!" Len exclaimed.</p><p>Angela got out of the car after Dean. She reached back in to grab one of Len's hands, then handcuffed him to the Impala.</p><p>"Hey!" he complained.</p><p>"You don't have a soul," Angela said bluntly. "Alright? Amara sucked it out."</p><p>"What?!" Len cried in disbelief.</p><p>"Angie!" Sam reprimanded. "You wanna be a little more blunt?"</p><p>"How—how is that even possible?" Len stammered.</p><p>"Look," Dean started. "This is just so you don't get in trouble. Alright, we'll be right back and then we'll figure out what to do with you."</p><p>"Well, how do I get it back? My soul." Len's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Generally, you don't." Sam sighed.</p><p>"Wh—uh…" Len sat back in the seat resignedly. "It feels good to finally know."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean, Sam, and Angela approached Mrs. Pensky's house while Len was forced to stay in the car.</p><p>"Hello!" Sam called out as he rang the doorbell.</p><p>Dean and Angela were looking through the front windows, noticing that the furniture was in disarray.</p><p>"Well, something happened in there," Angela commented.</p><p>"The blue car is the mom's." Sam replied. "I saw it last night."</p><p>Dean easily picked the lock and the three hunters entered the house, guns drawn.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean opened the door to the basement, and he went downstairs. He attempted to turn on the light, but evidently, it wasn't working and he was forced to use his flashlight. While he looked around the dingy basement, Dean noticed something behind the rollaway bed. He knocked it to the side, revealing two dead bodies.</p><p>Dean turned around and someone hit him across the face with a blunt object, knocking him unconscious.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Angela walked down one of the upstairs hallways.</p><p>"Sam," Angela nodded the moving closet door.</p><p>The couple approached it slowly, keeping their guns trained at the door. When they got closer, Sam opened the door quickly, only to reveal Jeordi bound and gagged on the floor.</p><p>"Jeordi?" Sam frowned in concern.</p><p>"Hey, sweetheart," Angela knelt down to help the boy sit upright.</p><p>"You all right?" Sam knelt down next to Angela to assess Jeordi.</p><p>"Give me a sec, hon," Angela muttered as she began to untie him.</p><p>While Sam and Angela worked on freeing the boy, Jeordi noticed someone come up behind the hunters.</p><p>"No!" he screamed.</p><p>Sam and Angela turned when Jeordi screamed and Sydney cocked a shotgun, pointing it directly at the hunters.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>In the basement, Dean started to wake up, his vision blurred. He was tied to a pole while Sam and Angela were tied to chairs nearby.</p><p>"Oh, thank God," Sydney started. "I thought you were dead. Huh. I can't believe that I bagged all three of you."</p><p>"Yeah, so it's Sydney, the killer babysitter. Not the mom." Sam glanced at Dean. "So, what's the story?" he asked Sydney. "You gonna hack us up like the others?"</p><p>"I'm past that. You two are an offering to my new friend." She answered with a dark smile.</p><p>"Let me guess," Angela started. "Is your new bestie Amara?"</p><p>"You know her?" Sydney raised her brows.</p><p>"Oh, yeah. We're tight." Angela smiled a fake smile. "How'd you two meet?"</p><p>"A couple of nights ago I got pretty sloshed. This, uh, smug little trust fund dirt-bag had just dumped me." Sydney recalled. "Have you guys ever seen the iced tea commercial? Where the lady is lying along the inflatable raft and she's just drifting along a sparkling pool?" she asked. "That's what it was like! Being with Amara. Bliss. No hurting. No sadness. No memories."</p><p>"So, you don't want memories?" Sam raised his brows.</p><p>"Did you have nice parents, Sam?" Sydney sauntered over to him. "Because my folks treated me and my sister like human ashtrays." She said as she pulled up her shirt to show cigarette burn scars all over her stomach. "I used to have to drink myself blind to even look at these. Let alone show anybody. And now, I don't know what Amara did to me, but it's just skin."</p><p>"Right." Sam nodded. "Well, that's really… Good for you."</p><p>"No more waking up screaming from nightmares." Sydney continued. "No more flashbacks. Amara took away the pain. She lightened something in me."</p><p>"Except now you an ax murderer." Dean reminded.</p><p>"I'm free." She corrected. "Before there was always this constant voice in my head, 'You can't do that. It's wrong. What if you get caught?' And now it's quiet. It's just me and what I want. And when you can do whatever you want you don't have to get caught. And then you can really fly."</p><p>"Were you flying when you diced up that couple at the inn?" Dean narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"Oh," she chuckled darkly. "When I'd found out that that… puss-hole was taking another girl to the B&amp;B, that's his deal-closing move. I didn't have to sit at home and cry about it."</p><p>"And what about the innkeeper's mom?" Angela asked.</p><p>"That piece of jerky." Sydney rolled her eyes. "She screwed me out of two weeks pay. I used to fantasize about killer her and now I'm living the dream."</p><p>"So, that's how you got it and out." Sam realized. "You worked there."</p><p>"Just for one summer." She shrugged.</p><p>"What about Jeordi's parents, huh?" Dean asked. "What? Did they screw you over, too?"</p><p>"Not me." Sydney shook her head. "Jeordi. Where to start? Meth dealing dad, slut mom. No, I saved Jeordi. And I'm going to take better care of him than they ever did."</p><p>"Well, you said that we were, uh, we were an offering," Angela recalled. "Well, how do you plan on bringing Amara here? Don't tell me that girl's got a cell phone."</p><p>"I've been praying," Sydney answered. "And I know that she can hear me. I can feel it. She's close. She hasn't left me."</p><p>"Well, bring her on out. We've been hunting that bitch for weeks." Angela taunted.</p><p>Sydney glared and hit Angela with the butt end of the shotgun. "She is a goddess!"</p><p>Sam used the opportunity to suddenly reveal that he was loose. He jumped up to attack Sydney and she fired the shotgun at Sam but missed. Suddenly, she dropped to the floor, revealing Len holding a bloody ax.</p><p>"Holy crap." He gasped. "I just did that."</p><p>"Hey. Hey." Sam walked over to Len, taking the ax. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Take this away."</p><p>"The darkness is coming," Sydney whispered as she bled out. "It's so peaceful. It's coming for all of us."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Outside of the Pensky house, Sam and Dean walked down the stairs of the front porch to sit next to Jeordi.</p><p>"Jeordi, you have any, uh, family you can stay with?" Dean asked.</p><p>Jeordi just stared ahead, not responding.</p><p>"When I was six-months-old, our mom died and our dad was… was never really around much," Sam explained. "I realized that's not really close to what you've lost, but you're gonna survive this. People are gonna help you."</p><p>"There's Aunt Kathy," Jeordi whispered. "She comes at Christmas."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Back in the Pensky house, Len was talking to Angela. Len held up his bandaged hand to show her.</p><p>"First of all, I ripped my hand out of the cuff." He noted.</p><p>"Well, you saved us, Len." Angela reminded.</p><p>"Yeah, that's not why I mauled myself," Len admitted. "I wanted to see if I could do it. It hurt like a mother, but it didn't wig me out. At all. I picked up my thumb like it was a mini-hot dog."</p><p>"I'm not gonna lie." Angela cringed. "That's worrisome."</p><p>"And that girl," Len muttered. "My brain said I should help you but I didn't really feel anything. For you or her. What kind of person can murder and feel nothing?"</p><p>"Len," Angela sighed heavily. "Whatever darkness you have inside you, if there is a shred of conscience then there might be hope."</p><p>"No." Len shook his head adamantly. "Sam said once your soul is gone you can't get it back. And I know for sure now, if I'm not stopped, there will be another kill. I can feel it. Like a bubble rising up."</p><p>"So, what do you want to do?" Angela pursed her lips.</p><p>"You could kill me," Len suggested.</p><p>"No, I can't." Angela shook her head. "No. I don't want to do that."</p><p>"Then there's only one thing," Len shrugged. "I'm gonna turn myself in. I'll confess to all the murders. That way I can't get out."</p><p>"Huh." Angela murmured. "Well, there's not too many soulless killers that would give themselves up."</p><p>"I remember what it was like to do the right thing," Len replied. "So, I'm going through the motions. For as long as I can."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela were leaning on the Impala while the ate some fast food.</p><p>"Still can't believe Len turned himself in," Dean said through a mouthful.</p><p>"I mean, it kinda makes sense." Sam shrugged. "You know, people having different reactions to losing their souls. Everyone's got their own history, right?"</p><p>"Len loses his heart. Sydney loses her head." Angela nodded. "What, are we looking for the cowardly lion next?"</p><p>"You know, I get like, this pit in my stomach any time I think of her." Sam pursed his lips. "The Darkness. Like we only know the tip of what she is, what she does to people. You know, Len was freaked out by her. But Sydney, Sydney couldn't get enough. The bliss she was talking about, you know?" he explained. "What was it like for you, Angie? Did you feel like that with Amara?"</p><p>"No." Angela denied. "No, I mean, it was quiet. Until, uh, she started hatching killers and rallying monsters to raise armies."</p><p>"So, that's how we have to find her. Follow the bodies." Sam muttered.</p><p>"You got a better idea?" Dean crumpled his wrapper. "We could follow the crazy you've been seeing. Look, at the rate Amara's growing, sucking souls and getting stronger… She may not be that hard to find. Come on."</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela got into the Impala and sped away. Behind them, Amara watched the drive off as she emerged from the woods.</p><p>"Bye, Angela." She waved. "I'll see you soon.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Our Little World Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Fall Rivers, Massachusetts</em>
</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela walked away from a quaint little house nestled in a wooded area, dressed in their FBI apparel.</p><p>"Said you had a good feeling about that one," Dean grumbled.</p><p>"Yeah, well, it seemed like a solid lead, Dean." Sam defended. "Only a soulless psycho would kill the family cat."</p><p>"Yeah, unless the family cat decides to take a nap in the dryer." Angela sassed as they walked toward the Impala.</p><p>"You know, we've been here since Monday and still haven't found another legit victim." Sam reminded. "Maybe Amara moved on or stopped feeding altogether."</p><p>"Well… finding her victims is still the best shot we got at finding her." Angela shrugged.</p><p>"Not actually true." Sam pursed his lips, looking at Angela expectantly.</p><p>"Oh, what? You think he's ready?" she raised her brows questioningly. "He's had a pretty rough go of it lately."</p><p>"Which one of us hasn't?" Dean scoffed. "Sammy's right, kid. Seems insane to leave our one and only angel friend on the bench."</p><p>Angela sighed resignedly. "Fine. I'll call him."</p><p>"Thank you, baby." Sam leaned down and pecked her lips.</p><p>Angela took out her phone and dialed, waiting for Castiel to answer.</p><p><em>"Hi."</em> The angel answered gruffly after a few rings.</p><p>"Cas," Angela greeted. "How're you doing, hon?"</p><p><em>"Oh, I'm fine."</em> He replied vaguely.</p><p>"Find anything on Metatron?" Angela pressed.</p><p><em>"Um, nothing on angel radio,"</em> Castiel mumbled, obviously distracted.</p><p>Angela's brows furrowed in concern. "How long's it been since you've left the bunker?"</p><p><em>"Oh, why would I leave?"</em> Castiel asked. <em>"I've got everything I need right here."</em></p><p>"Wait," Angela frowned when she heard something in the background. "Is that—are you watching <em>'Jenny Jones?'</em>"</p><p><em>"It's a rerun,"</em> Castiel answered simply. <em>"She's just about to announce the paternity results… Jenny, he is not ready to be a father."</em></p><p>"Okay," Angela huffed, exasperated as she walked a few feet away. "I-I-I thought you were going with socially acceptable binge-watching. Uh, you know, <em>'The Wire,'</em> <em>'Game of Thrones.'"</em></p><p><em>"Yeah, well, a man can't live on caviar alone, Angela,"</em> Castiel mumbled.</p><p>"Well, you sound weird, okay?" Angela scoffed. "Bad weird. Now, I've been down this road before with Sam."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Nearby, Sam's cell phone rang and he answered it, putting it on speaker.</p><p>"What's up, Detective?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"I have heard the siren's song from the idiot box, and I am telling you, whatever you're looking for, you won't find it in there," Angela explained. "So, do me a favor, turn off the TV. Go outside and get some air. We're in the dark here. I need you back in the game, okay, hon?"</p><p>Angela hung up, looked at her phone, and shook her head before she walked over to Sam and Dean, who were still talking to the Detective.</p><p>"I get it," Sam replied. "Yeah, well, thanks for letting us know. We'll—We'll head out right now. You got it."</p><p>"What's up?" Angela frowned slightly.</p><p>"That was Detective Madsen," Dean replied grimly. "Remember our friend Len?"</p><p>"Uh, quirky, soulless, took-the-rap-for-all-the-murders Len?" Angela shrugged.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded. "He's dead."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>A man in a suit walked through a cell-like door, the three hunters following close behind.</p><p>"Thought maybe a relative of one of Len's victims, but it doesn't feel like a revenge killing." Detective Madsen noted. "Too clean, like an assassination."</p><p>"Detective," A man came up to them.</p><p>"Excuse me." Detective Madsen told the hunters.</p><p>The Detective turned and walked the other way, into an office area, leaving the hunters to remain in the hall.</p><p>"You smell that?" Dean muttered.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam and Angela confirmed.</p><p>"Yeah, either the detective needs to change his diet, or, uh—</p><p>"Sulfur," Angela muttered. "Len was killed by a demon."</p><p>"Yeah, but why would a demon order a hit on a guy with no soul?" Dean questioned. "It's like a Cracker Jack but not a prize."</p><p>"Hands off, Deputy Doody!" a teenage girl yelled at an officer.</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela turned to see an officer pulling a girl in handcuffs past them.</p><p>"Who's the girl?" Sam asked as the Detective came back over.</p><p>"Goldi Schmitdlapp." Detective Madsen answered. "Was a normal kid, snapped this morning—tried to kill her mom with a frying pan. First the ax murders, then Len, now this?"</p><p>"We're gonna need to talk to the kid," Dean replied sternly.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Hey, officer," Goldie called out as she heard someone walking down the hall. "I still haven't gotten my phone call. Do you think I could get a pizza delivered in here?"</p><p>A man, who clearly wasn't a police officer, stood in front of Goldie's cell. Goldie frowned in confusion.</p><p>"You're not the deputy." She noted obviously.</p><p>"Nope." The man opened the door and entered the cell.</p><p>Goldie looked frightened and started to back up further into the cell.</p><p>"Boss' daughter's been making a mess in town," the man pulled out a knife. "And it's my job to clean it up. Nothing personal."</p><p>The man's eyes suddenly turned black as he lunged toward Goldie with the knife in his hand. Goldie backed up to get away but the man stopped suddenly. His eyes cleared ad he looked up and saw a devil's trap on the ceiling. The man closed his eyes in frustration as Sam, Dean, and Angela walked up to the cell.</p><p>"Nice work, Goldie." Sam nodded.</p><p>"So, Crowley and Amara?" Dean muttered. "Huh."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela pulled a brown hood off of the demon's head. The demon was tied to a chair in a dingy motel room. Angela stood in front of him while the brothers leaned against a nearby table.</p><p>"Rise and shine, buttercup." Angela started. "Now… about what you were saying."</p><p>"What's Crowley doing with Amara?" Dean demanded.</p><p>"Don't know, don't care." The demon scoffed. "Wouldn't tell you if I did."</p><p>"Hmm." Angela hummed.</p><p>"Well, we already know she's growing up fast," Sam noted.</p><p>"Yeah, well, demon souls—they do a body good." The demon remarked. "Little Muppet tore through half my buds before Crowley put her on a diet." He added. "She didn't like that. Started sneaking out to get her fill. You know how kids are. But daddy put his foot down."</p><p>Angela lunged forward and held a knife to the demon's throat. "Where's he hiding her?"</p><p>The demon laughed heartily. "I'm happy to keep gossiping with you three, but you want actionable intelligence? Torture me if you want. I know you'll just kill me anyway."</p><p>"Hmm. Well, it looks like a stalemate to me." Angela shrugged. "I guess we go ahead and kill him right now."</p><p>"No, no, no. Angie, wait." Sam walked toward his wife. "We can exorcise him."</p><p>"What?" Angela asked.</p><p>"Save his meat suit." Sam shrugged.</p><p>"My two cents?" the demon cut in. "You exorcise me, let me smoke on out of here, I give you my word not to tell Crowley." He promised, earning a scoff from Angela. "Hey, you heard me. He's hardly my favorite guy at the moment. I—"</p><p>"Wait a second," Dean eyed the demon quizzically as he walked over. "Shut up."</p><p>Dean pulled the top of the demon's shirt to the side to reveal a bullet wound on his chest.</p><p>"Well, would you look at that," Angela smirked smugly.</p><p>"There's no way his suit survived that wound," Sam muttered.</p><p>"Mnh-mnh." Angela shook her head. "All right."</p><p>"Crap." The demon muttered.</p><p>Angela leaned forward and plunged the demon blade into the demon's chest, killing him immediately.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam sat at the table, looking at something on his laptop. He looked up as Dean and Angela walked into the motel room.</p><p>"Hey," Sam greeted.</p><p>"Hi, baby," Angela replied.</p><p>"Hey," Dean greeted his brother.</p><p>"Where'd you guys ditch the body?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>"School playground," Dean answered.</p><p>"Come on." Sam rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Hospital parking lot," Angela walked over to her husband. "What do you got?"</p><p>"Well, uh, good news. I was able to hack his phone." Sam started. "Got the coordinates of his call history."</p><p>Sam stood up and he and Angela walked toward Dean on the other side of the room where maps and pictured were tacked up on the wall.</p><p>"I guess Crowley must've had him tailing Amara or something," Sam suggested. "'Cause he was at all three spots. He was at the Lizzie Borden house, where Len got his soul taken, he was at the bar where Sydney got her soul taken, and he was here, where Goldie said Amara approached her."</p><p>"Hmm," Dean pointed at the map. "So, somewhere in there."</p><p>"Yeah, maybe." Sam nodded. "But what I don't get is, why would Crowley have Amara on Earth in the first place? Wouldn't it be smarter to—to keep her in Hell?"</p><p>"Yeah, but then he'd have to spend more time there, and he hates that place," Angela replied.</p><p>"Oh, right." Sam scoffed. "I keep forgetting about you and Crowley's summer of love."</p><p>Angela looked up at her husband, unamused. "I'm not seeing much inside this radius that he'd like better. I mean, you got farms, you got swamps."</p><p>"Yeah." Sam agreed.</p><p>"This P.O.I, what's that?" Dean pointed.</p><p>"Uh… Point of Interest." Sam answered.</p><p>Dean rolled his eyes. "I know what it—what is it?"</p><p>"Oh," Sam mumbled. "Let's find out." He walked back over to his laptop.</p><p>"Yeah." Dean retorted sarcastically.</p><p>"The Needham Asylum. Decommissioned in '63." Sam noted. "Sound like Crowley's kind of place?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"So, we're really gonna do this… Now?" Sam asked, a hint of concern in his voice.</p><p>"Hell, yeah." Angela nodded. "I've been looking for a chance to get back at Crowley ever since that crap he pulled in Cedar Rapids, especially now that I know he tricked me and made off with the Darkness."</p><p>"No, that's not what I meant." Sam sighed heavily. "We're going to kill Amara. Are you ready for that?"</p><p>"Why wouldn't I be?" Angela's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Because we don't know the first thing about her, kid," Dean replied. "We don't know her powers. We don't know how to take her down."</p><p>"Hell, you know what?" Sam scoffed. "We don't even know if she can be killed."</p><p>"I know." Angela nodded. "But she's too big of a threat to wait. I say we go in there and we hit her with everything we got."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Our Little World Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>That night, Sam, Dean, and Angela stood at the gated entrance to the abandoned property. They pushed on the gate and it swung open.</p><p>"No guards at the perimeter?" Dean muttered.</p><p>They walked across the yard and up to the steps that lead to the front door.</p><p>"Looks like there are no guards at the door, either," Sam added before turning to his wife. "You think this is the right place still?"</p><p>"Well… warding sigils. And for the humans—look at this. A padlock you'd find on a middle-school locker." Angela noted. "Cocky son of a bitch."</p><p>"Angie, external security may be lax, but we still don't know how many demons we're gonna face inside." Sam reasoned.</p><p>"Well, let's find out." Angela shrugged as she leaned over to pick the lock.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>A demon walked down one of the hallways when suddenly he heard Crowley's voice nearby.</p><p><em>"Hey, idiot, andale—Spanish for 'get your ass over here.'"</em> Crowley's voice called out.</p><p>The demon's brows furrowed and he followed Crowley's voice.</p><p><em>"You think I've been paying your astronomical bar tabs…"</em> Crowley trailed off.</p><p>"Sir?" the demon asked.</p><p><em>"…for the past five weeks so you can sleep past noon every day?"</em> Crowley scoffed.</p><p>The demon saw Dean and Angela at the end of the hallways. Angela held her cell phone, which was playing a message from Crowley. The demon ran toward the two hunters.</p><p><em>"Well, Angela?"</em> Crowley's message continued.</p><p>As he got to Dean and Angela, the demon was blindsided by Sam, who knocked out and cuffed him.</p><p>"Sam?" Angela looked at her husband.</p><p>Sam took the keys off the demon and handed them to Dean. You know what, baby? Go. Take her out."</p><p>"We got them, kiddo," Dean assured.</p><p>Angela paused for a second and walked away from the brothers and down the hall to Amara's room.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Amara sat at her desk filing her nails as Angela entered the room. The young girl smiled and raised her head.</p><p>"I knew you'd come." Amara stood up and walked toward Angela.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Amara." Angela apologized.</p><p>"For what?" she asked, confused.</p><p>"What I have to do," Angela replied tentatively, gripping the knife in her hand.</p><p>"Hello, Angela." Crowley greeted suddenly.</p><p>Angela whipped around and faced Crowley, who flicked his hand to send Angela flying across the room into a standing mirror. Angela struggled to get up and attempted to get at Crowley, who then pinned her to the wall.</p><p>"Aah!" she groaned. "What do you want with her, Crowley? What, you think you can use her, <em>control</em> her? You're an idiot."</p><p>"I'm not trying to control her. I'm helping her to realize her fullest potential." Crowley picked up the demon blade. "Do you know how disturbing it was to realize that I couldn't bring myself to kill you?" he questioned. "I've had tons of chances over the years, some you don't even know about, but, still… I made my peace with it, embraced my softer side, leaned to accept that there was just too much going on between you and me. But you know what?" he quirked a brow. "I think I am gonna kill you today. I feel different somehow, ready. What can I say? Fatherhood changes a man."</p><p>Suddenly, Amara stepped behind Crowley and hit him over the head with a blunt object.</p><p>"Aah!" he yelled in pain.</p><p>Crowley stumbled and then turned to face Amara. Amara held out her hand toward the demon blade, causing Crowley to drop the knife. She flicked her hand and Crowley's wrist bent backward, snapping. She then flung him into the wall, pinning him there.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Why, Amara?" Crowley groaned. "I thought we had an understanding."</p><p>"Yeah. Your promise to protect me." She retorted. "And, then, hours later, I'm assaulted in my own room."</p><p>"Well, you don't seem terribly upset by it." Crowley grimaced in pain.</p><p>"That's not the point." Amara glared. "I've decided I don't need your protection, and I certainly don't need your captivity. I'm done."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Dean were in the hallway fighting the two demons. Sam knocked one out while Dean knocked out the other one when suddenly a third demon approached them.</p><p>"You trying out some kind of no-kill policy?" the demon raised his brows.</p><p>The demon rushed Sam and pushed him against the wall with his hands around Sam's neck. Dean clenched his jaw and grabbed the demon from behind, then stabbed him with an angel blade, killing him immediately.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam stood up and looked around the hallway. There was one dead demon and two in cuffs.</p><p>"All right. Two out of three." Sam nodded at his brother.</p><p>"Come on, let's go." Dean wiped the blood off the blade and started walking down the hallway.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Angie?!" Sam could be heard through the door.</p><p>Angela started to move away from the wall but Amara pinned her back to it, causing Angela to groan in pain.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Angie!" Dean banged on the door along with Sam.</p><p>Sam banged into the door with his shoulder. After a few tries, he stumbled, looked confused, fell to the ground, and started to have another vision.</p><p>"Sammy?" Dean asked his brother concernedly.</p><p>"Aah!" Sam yelled in pain as he came out of the vision.</p><p>"Sam, you good?" Dean knelt down in front of his brother.</p><p>Sam just nodded, breathing heavily.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"It's time—time for you to blink your tired ass…" Amara squeezed her hand, causing Crowley to bleed from his mouth. "Back to your throne and lick your wounds. I'll spare your life on one condition. Safe passage for Angela out of here after I've gone."</p><p>Angela shook her head in confusion while Amara just squeezed her fist harder.</p><p>"Yes!" Crowley managed to get out. "Ah!"</p><p>Amara released Angela and Crowley from her hold. "Good. Now… Get. Out. Of my room."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela was still by the wall with Amara's back to her. Angela bent over and picked up the demon knife. Amara looked slightly over her shoulder.</p><p>"You won't," Amare commented, turning to face Angela. "You can't."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Tell me," Amara started as she walked toward Angela. "What is happening here between us? You save me, I save you." She reached out and ran a hand along Angela's jaw.</p><p>The hunter just continued to stare at Amara, as if she was unsure about what to do.</p><p>"What?" Amara asked. "You were the first thing I saw when I was freed, and it had been so long. Maybe that's it," she mused. "My first experience of his creation. You can't help but represent that for me—the sweet triumph and the even sweeter folly of what he's wrought. There's no fighting it. I'm fascinated."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"It's been great seeing you again, Angela, but it's time for me to go," Amara started. "There's a whole world out there for me to explore, and I can practically taste it. Soon, I'll be strong enough to do what I came here to do."</p><p>"What's that?" Angela whispered, brows furrowed.</p><p>"Settle an old score—the <em>oldest</em> score," Amara answered ominously.</p><p>She looked down at the demon knife in Angela's hand and Angela's gaze followed. As she raised her blade toward Amara's chest, Amara tilted her head back slightly, as if inviting Angela to use the knife on her.</p><p>"Told you," Amara smirked triumphantly.</p><p>Angela blinked and looked at Amara, as if she couldn't really comprehend what was happening. Suddenly, the brothers crashed through the door, stumbling into the room. Amara threw her arm out and the brothers flew into the wall across the hall. Angela looked at Amara and then down at the knife before lunging toward her. Amara threw her back against the wall and she fell to the ground.</p><p>Amara looked at Angela for a moment before she started to walk out of the room. Angela watched Amara walk away, her vision slightly blurred.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, and Castiel stood in the War Room in the bunker. The hunters had just gotten home and picked Grace up on the way back. Angela held Grace on her hip.</p><p>"Missed you, Mommy!" Grace batted her eyelashes.</p><p>"Oh, I missed you, too, sweet girl, so much." Angela kissed her daughter's temple.</p><p>"What am I, chopped liver?" Sam shook his head, chuckling lightly.</p><p>"Look, guys," Dean cut in. "I'm as glad as anyone that Stella got her groove back, okay? But you let Metatron go?"</p><p>Castiel rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Dean, how many times are you gonna repeat that question?"</p><p>"I'm gonna say it again. You let Metatron go!" Dean snapped angrily.</p><p>"He's not going anywhere," Castiel assured. "If he makes a move, if he draws the slightest attention, the full force of angelkind will snuff him out." He explained. "Look, you—none of you saw him. He is a human and a pitiable one at that. He's not a threat to us. I-I mean, I put him in traction."</p><p>"Guys, bigger fish to fry here," Sam interjected. "Amara is in the wind."</p><p>"Yeah, God's freaking sister." Angela scoffed.</p><p>"You said you were close," Castiel recalled. "Angela, how'd she get away?"</p><p>"I'm sorry, what part of, 'God's freaking sister' did you not understand?" Angela sassed. "She overpowered me—end of story."</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Castiel looked at Angela warily. Angela just rolled her eyes.</p><p>"What's our plan here?" she asked. "You said you got everything you could out of Metatron, right?" she asked Castiel, earning a nod from the angel. "So, where on Earth are we gonna find an answer on how to stop her?" she turned her attention to Sam. "I don't suppose God's decided to share any wisdom on the matter."</p><p>"I'll look into the lore," Sam muttered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam walked away into the library. He looked over his shoulder back at Dean, Angela, and Castiel and then stopped to lean against a bookcase. He looked nervous, or scared, maybe both. Sam closed his eyes and flashed back to the black concrete wall in his vision. Sam breathed heavily, looking terrified. He turned his head slightly as if to look back to Dean, Angela, and Castiel.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Plush Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Sam was in the room he shared with Angela kneeling in front of their bed with his back to the open door.</p><p>"So, uh…" Sam started. "On the off chance that you're actually listening, uh… Uh, I gotta be real honest. The visions aren't making a whole lot of sense to me." He explained as Dean and Angela stopped at the doorway. "Truth is… I don't know what's what. Please. What are you trying to say?"</p><p>"Really?" Dean asked, causing Sam to jump up and turn around. "I mean, really?"</p><p>"You ever hear of privacy?" Sam huffed.</p><p>"Hey, this is my room, too," Angela replied as she adjusted Grace in her arms.</p><p>"You want privacy, close your door," Dean added.</p><p>Sam walked out of the room and Dean and Angela started following him.</p><p>"Daddy!" Grace reached out for Sam.</p><p>Sam took Grace from Angela and the toddler rested her head on Sam's shoulder contentedly.</p><p>"Thought we talked about this," Dean muttered.</p><p>"Yeah, we did, Dean." Sam nodded. "But why is it so hard to believe that God could be sending me visions about the Darkness?"</p><p>"You kidding me?" Dean shook his head.</p><p>"Baby," Angela sighed heavily. "He didn't feel the need to show up for the Apocalypse. Why would he care now?"</p><p>"I don't know." Sam shrugged. "Maybe because she's his sister? What do you guys wanna do? Sit back? Ignore him? Do nothing?"</p><p>"No, that's—that's not what we're saying," Dean replied, frustrated. "We're saying, don't count on God. Count on us."</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela arrived at the command center in the bunker, the table littered with ancient books and scrolls.</p><p>"Right." Sam pursed his lips. "Oh, this is everything Cas dug up in Gaza, every last bit of prebiblical lore."</p><p>"Hmm." Angela hummed.</p><p>"Half of it I couldn't read," Sam added. "It's in Aramaic. And the other half… Nada. Not a single mention of the Darkness, so…" he trailed off as Angela's phone started ringing.</p><p>"Well, I'll be damned," Angela muttered when she saw the caller ID.</p><p>"Huh?" Dean's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Donna!" Angela greeted. "What's up?"</p><p>"Fat sucker Donna?" Sam whispered.</p><p>Angela shot Sam a look and then her brows furrowed. "What do you mean 'killer bunny?'"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Cottage Grove, Minnesota</em>
</p><p>The three hunters walked into the sheriff's station toward Donna. Sam held Grace on his hip, and she clutched his suit jacket.</p><p>"Sheriff. Hey." Sam greeted with a smile.</p><p>"Oh!" she exclaimed happily, pulling them each into a hug. "You three are a sight for sore eyes!"</p><p>"Hi!" Grace waved one of her tiny hands.</p><p>"Hello," Donna practically cooed. "She sure is gettin' big!"</p><p>"Yeah, time sure does fly." Angela chuckled. "She's gonna be three in no time."</p><p>"What, are you working all 10,000 lakes now?" Dean cut in. "This isn't usually your beat."</p><p>"Just Larsen County, what with the cutbacks and all," Donna explained. "For the most part, it's been tater tots and lemon drops, except for this doozy. I mean, when you get a call about a killer Easter bunny, you don't know what to think."</p><p>"Well, you think crazy," Dean muttered.</p><p>"Guy's real strong, too," Donna added. "Lashed out at several officers. Took a whole team just to get him into custody. But that's not the weirdest part—bunny head won't come off."</p><p>Angela's brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"</p><p>"Tried everything short of a chainsaw, but it's really stuck," Donna replied. "I mean, who knows? Could be nothing. Guy could just have a big melon like my Uncle Wally." She added. "But ever since I've seen what goes bump in the night…" she whispered. "I'm not taking any chances."</p><p>"You did the right thing, for sure," Sam assured.</p><p>"Maybe." Dean pursed his lips. "I'm just still not 100% sure this is our kind of case. But if, uh, you got a wild hare…" he smirked. "See what I did there?"</p><p>"It's good to see you guys!" Donna grinned.</p><p>"Who you got there, sheriff?" Doug asked as he walked over.</p><p>Donna immediately sobered up. "Agents, this is Officer Stover. He's lead on the case."</p><p>"Agents Allen, Elliot, and Savage." Angela introduced.</p><p>"Huh." Doug nodded. "Nice to meet ya. And please, call me Doug."</p><p>"These three will be helping out with the old hippity hop," Donna told Doug.</p><p>"Oh. We're gonna need it." Doug replied. "And not that Sheriff Hanscum isn't doing a bang-up job. We're lucky to have her. Well, I better get back to it."</p><p>"Uh-huh." Dean nodded as Dough walked away.</p><p>"What?" Donna frowned.</p><p>"Hey, it's none of our business," Angela started. "But it looks like somebody may have a crush."</p><p>"I was born at night, Angela. Not last night." Donna deadpanned.</p><p>"What's the deal?" Sam shrugged. "He seems nice."</p><p>"He is!" Donna agreed. "But he's a cop… named Doug. I mean, clearly, I have a type, but no, thank you, ma'am. Won't be once bitten, twice Doug'd."</p><p>"Alright," Dean nodded. "Where's the wascally wabbit?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The four of them approached the holding cell insides the sheriff's station, coming to a stop right in front of the cell's bars.</p><p>"Any witnesses?" Sam asked as he adjusted Grace in his arms.</p><p>"Yeah, vic's wife—Fran Hinkle," Donna answered. "Poor thing thought she was next, but the bunny just up and walked out the door."</p><p>"You I.D. him yet?" Angela questioned.</p><p>"Nope." Donna shook her head. "No wallet. No cell. Ran his prints, but no prior record. Couldn't even get our hands on him long enough to check for any identifying marks." She added. "Only thing we do know—he's Caucasian, roughly 18 to 25. And terrifying."</p><p>Suddenly, Doug knocked on the door and entered the hall.</p><p>"Clive's on the line," he started. "Said it's an emergency."</p><p>Donna nodded and turned to the hunters. "Just shoot a hoot if you need me."</p><p>Doug and Donna left, talking faintly as the door shut behind them.</p><p>"What's up, Doc?" Dean asked the masked man. "Be easier all around if you just talk to us." He added as he walked closer to the bars.</p><p>"Careful," Sam warned.</p><p>"Scary, daddy." Grace's lip quivered slightly.</p><p>"It's okay, Peanut," Sam assured his daughter. "He won't hurt you, we won't let him."</p><p>"So, what happened, pal? Hmm?" Dean asked the masked man. "What, you dropped too much molly? Superglue your mask to your head, get paranoid, stab a guy? Hoo. I've been there."</p><p>"Let me guess, Rog. You were framed!" Sam mimicked.</p><p>Dean turned around to give Sam a look and Angela just laughed lightly.</p><p>"What?" Sam asked before his eyes widened in concern.</p><p>"Dean!" Angela and Sam yelled.</p><p>Dean turned and the bunny now stood right behind him and proceeded to grab Dean by the jacket. Dean started trying to get the masked man's hands off of him.</p><p>"Ah! I-I got it. I got it." Dean assured. "Ah!"</p><p>The masked man maneuvered Dean into a chokehold. Angela grabbed a flask and poured holy water on the man's now exposed arm.</p><p>"It's not a demon." Angela shook her head.</p><p>"He is strong." Dean gasped. "All right. Whoo."</p><p>Angela grabbed the man's arm and together she and Dean snaked Dean out of the man's chokehold.</p><p>"Kylie Forever," Sam read the man's tattoo. "That'll work."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Better be her," Dean noted. "Last Kylie on the list."</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela got out of the Impala. Angela took Grace out of her car seat and the hunters walked to the house across the street.</p><p>"Excuse me," Sam stopped the young woman approaching her car. "Kylie Jennings?"</p><p>"Yes?" she replied, confused.</p><p>"You know this rabbit?" Dean held up a picture.</p><p>"You found him." She gasped in relief.</p><p>"Who is he?" Angela demanded.</p><p>"Mike Hooks," Kylie answered. "He's my boyfriend."</p><p>"Okay, well, you have any idea why your boyfriend would stab somebody?" Angela questioned.</p><p>"Wait." Kylie frowned, even more confused than before. "What?"</p><p>"How would Mike know Stan Hinkle?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Who?" Kylie retorted.</p><p>"The victim." Sam clarified.</p><p>"Okay, hold on." Kylie held up one of her hands. "This… This makes no sense. Why would Mike stab a complete stranger? I mean…" she trailed off. "Oh, God."</p><p>"What?" Dean asked.</p><p>"I don't know. I thought it was nothing, but he was acting really weird yesterday." Kylie recalled.</p><p>"Weird how?" Sam pressed.</p><p>"Well, after class, we went to this thrift shop. We needed to buy costumes for a party off-campus." Kylie explained. "And Mike found this super creepy bunny mask. I mean, it—it grossed me out, which he just loved. But as soon as he put it on…"</p><p>"That's when the weird started?" Angela quirked a brow.</p><p>"Yeah." Kylie nodded. "He just… Stared at me. At first, I thought that he was just messing around, but then he walked out without paying. He left his cell at the register, so I had no way of reaching him, and…" she sighed heavily. "Look, Mike's, like, the sweetest, okay? But I'm telling you, as soon as he put that mask on, it's like he was a completely different person."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Later that night, Sam, Dean, Angela, and Donna were in a wooded area standing around the bunny head. Grace was asleep in Angela's arms while Sam poured gasoline and salt on the bunny head.</p><p>"You okay?" Dean asked Donna.</p><p>"No, not really." She admitted. "A 19-year-old kid is dead."</p><p>"That's not on your or Doug." Angela reasoned. "He was just doing his job."</p><p>"I know, but… That kid was innocent." Donna replied. "I mean, if the mask was cursed, then he was just a puppet, right? He was a victim, too."</p><p>Sam handed Donna the matches so that she could light the mask. "No one else dies. Not like this."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Plush Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Donna and Doug stood with the three hunters in the gym. Angela held Grace, who rubbed her eyes sleepily.</p><p>"Good news—the coach is still alive," Donna started. "Bad news—he's in a coma, so we're not out of the woods yet."</p><p>"Two masked psychos in two days," Doug muttered. "I mean, what are the chances?"</p><p>The three hunters glanced at each other, keeping their mouth shut. Donna just looked up at Dough and shrugged.</p><p>"My guess? Copycat killer." She suggested.</p><p>"Damn social media," Dean added.</p><p>"Uh... Okay?" Doug's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Yeah." Dean nodded.</p><p>"Yeah," Sam muttered. "You know, did you guys talk to the kid yet?"</p><p>"Be my guest," Donna replied.</p><p>"Thanks," Angela replied.</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela approached Brock, who was finishing up an interview with another policeman.</p><p>"Hi," Sam greeted. "Agents Elliot, Allen, and Savage."</p><p>"Brock Buckner." He introduced.</p><p>"Well, um, Brock, what did you see?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"Not much, man." Brock sighed. "I mean, I was just hammering my bi's, gettin' all swole, and next thing I know, Coach Evans is getting his ass kicked by the mascot."</p><p>"And who is the mascot?" Angela asked curiously.</p><p>"Why would I know?" Brock scoffed lightly. "I'm the quarterback. Besides, his mask wouldn't come off. I couldn't believe how strong he was, either. I mean, for a scrawny dude, he was as strong as me, and I hold the state bench record."</p><p>"Oh, yeah?" Dean raised his brows. "What do you bench?"</p><p>"Four plates," Brock smirked. "On each side."</p><p>"Oh. That's…" Dean trailed off.</p><p>"Okay, so other than the, uh, mask not coming off and the Jester hulking out," Sam cut in. "Did you notice anything else unusual?"</p><p>"What do you mean?" Brock's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Uh, power surges? Temperature fluctuations?" Angela asked with a shrug.</p><p>"Uh, the weight room did get really cold," Brock recalled.</p><p>"Thanks." Sam nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Back at the sheriff's station, the hunters and Donna were standing in front of the Jester's cell. Dean had the EMF reader out and it was beeping like crazy.</p><p>"Hmm." He hummed. "Well… Ain't a cursed object. Ghost possession."</p><p>"Oh, for jeez." Donna shook her head in disbelief. "Ghosts can possess people?"</p><p>"Yeah." Angela nodded. "So, uh, Ghosts 101—somebody's spirit can attach itself to an object or a bunch of objects left behind. In this case, masks."</p><p>"Right, so whoever possesses the object…" Dean trailed off.</p><p>"Gets possessed." Sam finished.</p><p>"But if we can't get the mask off, how the heck do ya unpossess someone?" Donna questioned.</p><p>"Everything has a weakness, even ghosts," Sam assured.</p><p>"They hate iron and salt," Angela noted. "So, all we have to do is spook the spook with a little salt and, uh, maybe we could pry it off."</p><p>Donna pulled out a salt shaker from her fanny pack. "My diet secret. One bite of dessert and then I dump salt on it. Kills the craving."</p><p>"And that works?" Dean quirked a brow curiously.</p><p>"You betcha." She nodded. "On everything except… salted caramel."</p><p>"Well, that's cute." Dean chuckled. "But I was thinking something a little bit more like this." He pulled out a sawed-off shotgun.</p><p>"You said no one else was dying!" Donna exclaimed.</p><p>"Salt pellets," Dean replied.</p><p>"Cover your ears, Gracie," Angela instructed.</p><p>Dean fired the shotgun and the ghost left the person's body. The Jester's mask came off to reveal a teenage girl.</p><p>"What's going on?" the girl asked, confused.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The girl was handcuffed sitting next to Donna's desk. The three hunters and Donna stood a few feet away, watching her.</p><p>"Poor thing doesn't deserve to be locked up," Donna muttered.</p><p>"So, let her go." Angela shrugged. "No one saw her face, right?"</p><p>"Yeah, he was a drifter, overpowered you, escaped." Dean proposed.</p><p>"Well, there's some female empowerment for ya." Donna retorted sarcastically.</p><p>The four of them approached the girl, who immediately looked up.</p><p>"Don't worry, hon." Donna comforted. "Just gonna ask you a few questions, then you're free to go."</p><p>"I am?" the girl asked, slightly surprised.</p><p>"Scout's honor." Donna nodded.</p><p>"You remember attacking Coach Evans?" Angela asked gently.</p><p>"No, I swear." The girl promised. "I went to pick up the new mascot costume, went to try it on, and the next thing I know… I'm in jail."</p><p>"Did you even know him?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>"He was my P.E. coach last semester." The girl answered. "I mean, he was kind of a hard-ass, but… That doesn't mean I wanted him dead."</p><p>"Michelle, where did you get the costume? Was it a thrift store?" Dean asked.</p><p>"No, someone donated it to the school," Michelle replied.</p><p>"Do you know who?" Angela pressed.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Donna, Dean, Angela, and Sam stood with Rita on her front porch. Grace stood next to Donna, holding her hand.</p><p>"Rita Johnson?" Angela asked.</p><p>"Yeah, who's askin'?" she frowned.</p><p>The three hunters flashed their FBI badges.</p><p>"Got a few questions we want to ask you about a case in town," Dean replied.</p><p>"Who is it, Mom?" Max asked as he walked up.</p><p>"Um, Max, why don't you go back and finish your homework?" Rita suggested.</p><p>"Why are the police here?" Max ignored his mother's request.</p><p>"Hey there, fella. You ever seen a real cop car?" Donna asked. "I mean, if it's okay with your mom."</p><p>"Yeah." Rita nodded.</p><p>"Gracie, why don't you come with us?" Donna asked the toddler.</p><p>"Yay!" Grace beamed.</p><p>"Mind if we come inside?" Dean asked Rita as Donna and the kids walked away.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The three hunters and Rita sat around her dining table in the dimly lit room.</p><p>"The costumes belonged to my brother Chester," Rita started. "He was a kids' party performer before he passed."</p><p>"Ah." Sam nodded.</p><p>"And, um, how did—how did Chester die?" Dean asked gently.</p><p>"Uh, my brother suffered from depression," Rita answered. "He took his own life a couple months back. Jumped off a bridge."</p><p>"I'm sorry to hear that." Sam apologized.</p><p>"Max begged me to keep the costumes," Rita recalled. "He loved them. He loved his uncle. I mean, he lived with us, so they were really close. But they made me sad, so I donated them to the local high school, the theater company."</p><p>"Thrift shop?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Yeah, places like that." Rita nodded.</p><p>"Can I ask where Chester's buried?" Angela asked softly.</p><p>Rita frowned in confusion. "He's not. He was cremated."</p><p>"Would you mind making a list of his costumes? As many as you can remember?" Sam asked.</p><p>"Sure." Rita nodded. "But what does this have to do with your case?"</p><p>"That's what we're trying to figure out," Sam muttered.</p><p>"Uh, one more question," Dean started. "Did Chester have a falling out with Stan Hinkle or Phil Evans? Um, or anyone for that matter?"</p><p>"What do you mean?" Rita's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Did he, um, did he have any unfinished business with anyone?" Angela asked curiously.</p><p>"No, not that I can think of." Rita shrugged. "I mean, I don't even—I don't think Chester even knew those guys."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Donna and the three hunters were standing by their cars outside of Rita's house. Grace was now holding Sam's hand.</p><p>"I remember Chester's suicide," Donna recalled. "Real sad. So, now that we know he's the ghost, how do we stop him?"</p><p>"Well, usually you gotta burn their bones, but he was cremated," Angela explained.</p><p>"So, we're up poop's creek without a paddle?" Donna frowned.</p><p>"Mm. Not exactly." Sam replied. "I mean, looks like he's tied to the costumes, which means the only way to stop him is to burn them."</p><p>"Then we're already ahead of the game." Donna perked up. "I had Doug go up to the high school and collect the costumes."</p><p>"Great. Here is a list of the rest." Sam handed Donna a slip of paper. "Think you and Doug can round 'em up?"</p><p>"Yeah. You betcha." Donna nodded.</p><p>"Now we just gotta figure out what Chester's beef was with the vics," Dean muttered. "Ghosts come back for something personal. Usually, it's revenge."</p><p>"Alright, drop me off at the hospital. I'll check on the coach." Sam told Dean.</p><p>"Angie and I will see if we can find Stan's widow." Dean nodded. "Let's go."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The clown was walking to the elevator to leave. Sam was already on the elevator when the doors opened. The clown walked into the elevator and Sam swallowed nervously. The clown turned to face Sam and Sam glanced at the bloody scalpel in the clown's hand. Sam lunged at the clown, but the clown shoved Sam against the wall and started choking him.</p><p>Sam gasped for air and attempted to pry the clown's hand from his throat. When that didn't work, Sam pulled out an iron rod and purged the ghost out of the person's body. Sam breathed heavily when the clown let him and go and Sam took off the mask, revealing an elderly man.</p><p>"Who the hell are you?" the elderly man demanded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Donna were in Coach Evans's hospital room while the coroner rolled the body out.</p><p>"You get a story out of Bozo?" Donna asked.</p><p>"Yeah, uh, name is Steve Buress," Sam replied. "60-years-old, retired G.P. Apparently, he was playing dress-up with his grandson, and the next thing he knew, he… Doesn't even know how he got to the hospital."</p><p>"He 'escape,' too?" Donna quirked a brow.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam sighed.</p><p>"I'm so losing my job." Donna shook her head.</p><p>Doug entered the hospital room and look between Sam and Donna. "I was on my way to Woodbury to pick up a woodpecker costume. Then I got the call about the coach."</p><p>"Yeah. This time… Killer clown." Donna held up the mask. "Already put out an APB."</p><p>"What the heck is going on in the doggone town?" Doug shook his head.</p><p>"Told ya. Copycat killers." Donna snapped slightly.</p><p>Doug's brows furrowed slightly. "So, this is a-a copycat of a copycat?"</p><p>"Come on, Doug." Donna rolled her eyes, annoyed. "It's not that hard to wrap your noggin around, is it?"</p><p>Doug looked at the ground and nodded. "Whatever you say, sheriff. I'm gonna go get the woodpecker."</p><p>"What's the deal?" Sam demanded once Doug was gone. "Why don't you cut the guy a break? I mean, I wouldn't buy what you're selling either."</p><p>"I don't have time for insubordination." Donna scoffed.</p><p>"Or is it maybe that you're treating new Doug like old Doug and not even giving him a chance?" Sam retorted.</p><p>Donna narrowed her eyes. "You know what I think? You need to mind your own beeswax. We have a case to solve."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Angela stood at the counter where Fran, Stan's window sat. Dean held Grace, who was sucking her thumb.</p><p>"Phil and Stan were college roommates," Fran noted. "Knew each other since they were 18. They were like brothers."</p><p>"Out of all these years of friendship, did, uh, your husband or the coach ever know a guy by the name of Chester Johnson?" Dean questioned. "He was a children's performer."</p><p>"Yeah. They knew." Fran nodded. "Ugh. I can't even say his name. He makes me sick! I know you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but I have nothing nice to say about that man."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Angela were walking to the Impala while talking on the phone with Sam. Grace walked beside Angela, holding her hand.</p><p>"Killer clown? You're serious?" Dean asked.</p><p><em>"No, Dean, I'm joking. Because clowns are really funny to me."</em> Sam retorted sarcastically.</p><p>"I'm sorry, baby." Angela comforted. "Did you take care of it?"</p><p><em>"Yeah."</em> Sam sighed. <em>"What about you guys? Anything?"</em></p><p>"Yeah, turns out that Stan and the coach were besties from way back who accused Chester of crossing the line with their kids," Dean explained.</p><p><em>"Oh. Wow."</em> Sam replied, shocked.</p><p>"Yeah," Angela muttered. "But they didn't wanna go to the cops 'cause they didn't wanna embarrass their kids. So, they decided to track Chester themselves. They went to his house and got Rita instead."</p><p><em>"So, she lied?"</em> Sam replied. <em>"Chester did know the vics?"</em></p><p>"Apparently," Dean confirmed. "So, Fran said that Rita told them to screw off. And… Well, before they had a chance to confront him, he killed himself."</p><p><em>"So, suicide led to a vengeful spirit. I mean, it's not like we haven't seen it before."</em> Sam replied.</p><p>"Or, maybe it wasn't suicide," Angela suggested.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Angela stood outside of Rita's house and Angela held Grace in her arms. Dean knocked on Rita's door and they waited for a few moments, when finally, Max answered.</p><p>"Hi, hon," Angela greeted. "Is your mom home?"</p><p>"Not yet." Max shook his head.</p><p>"Okay." Dean nodded. "Um, we just needed to ask her a few more questions. Uh… Um…"</p><p>"I-I guess you can wait inside." Max shrugged.</p><p>"Okay," Dean replied.</p><p>"Thanks," Angela added softly.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Angela followed Max to the dimly lit living room. Dean perked up slightly when he noticed a deck of cards.</p><p>"Hey. Poker?" he raised his brows. "I can show you a move or two."</p><p>"He's really good," Angela added with a smile.</p><p>"Magic trick." Max corrected. "Something my uncle taught me."</p><p>"Ah." Dean murmured. "Yeah, you were pretty close to him, huh?"</p><p>"Yeah," Max whispered sadly. "He was cool. I miss him."</p><p>"He sounds like a good guy," Angela added gently.</p><p>"He was." Max agreed. "What those men said about him wasn't true."</p><p>Suddenly, Rita stormed into the house with Sam hot on her heels.</p><p>"I don't appreciate you talking to my son when I am not home!" Rita snapped at Dean and Angela.</p><p>"Hey, we were just trading some card tricks, that's all," Dean assured.</p><p>"What are you even doing here?" Rita demanded. "I told you everything I know."</p><p>Rita exchanged looks with Angela as she pointedly looked at Max.</p><p>"Okay," Rita sighed heavily. "Honey, go to your room."</p><p>Max paused for a moment before he relented and walked out of the living room.</p><p>"Look, we know that the coach and Stan confronted you about Chester," Sam noted.</p><p>"That is none of your damn business!" Rita retorted. "It has nothing to do with any of this!"</p><p>"Those men were murdered," Angela stressed. "And whether you believe it or not, your brother is connected."</p><p>"How?" Rita scoffed. "Chester is dead. Killed himself."</p><p>"You sure about that?" Dean raised his brows.</p><p>"Oh!" Rita let out a sob.</p><p>"Look, we need to know the truth." Sam pleaded. "People's lives are at stake here."</p><p>"Yeah. Maybe yours. Maybe Max's." Dean added.</p><p>"Okay. Okay." Rita muttered. "A couple of months ago, Stan and the coach came by. They said that Chester was with their kids, did something… inappropriate. I got defensive. I mean… Chester was sweet, like a dad to Max. So, I told them to get lost. If they had a problem with Chester, they could go to the cops."</p><p>"But they didn't." Angela sighed.</p><p>"They didn't have any evidence," Rita replied. "But then, I started to have my doubts. I mean, as much as I wanted to defend my brother… What they said really… Got under my skin." She explained. "Chester was always a little… Off. Only got along with kids. That's why he became a party performer. I spent my whole life sticking up for my brother. But what if I couldn't see him for who he really was? And he and Max were so close. I mean… What if he was hurting him, and I didn't know? Chester was my brother, but… Max is my son."</p><p>"So, you wanted to protect him?" Sam asked.</p><p>"How could I look the other way?" Rita shrugged weakly. "I had to suck it up and face my biggest fear. If not me, then who? But I should've talked to him. I just should've gone to him first. Instead…" she let out a shaky breath. "I called Stan back. And he said that they would take care of it. So, one day when Chester was working, I told them where he was. They promised me that they weren't gonna hurt Chester." She recalled. "They were just gonna scare him a little bit. And I thought, you know, maybe a good scare… maybe that's all he needed. They didn't mean to kill him. They—they said… That it was an accident." Her voice cracked. "But I wasn't there, so I didn't know what to believe. And I wanted to go to the cops and explain what happened, but Stan said that we'd all go to jail. And I couldn't do that to Max. He already lost his father and his uncle. And he… He couldn't lose me, too. So, I… didn't say anything. Fear cripples you. It makes you do nothing. Or worse… It makes you do something that you regret. I should've trusted my brother."</p><p>After a beat of silence, Sam's phone suddenly started ringing. Sam pulled out his phone and walked a few feet away.</p><p>"Hi." He greeted quietly. "How's it going?"</p><p><em>"Tracked down every last costume."</em> Donna's voice rang through.</p><p>"You didn't happen to see a-a deer head by chance, did you?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p><em>"Deer head?"</em> Donna repeated, confused. <em>"That wasn't on the list."</em></p><p>Rita looked up and saw Max with the deer head mask on standing in the living room entrance.</p><p>"Oh, my God." Rita gasped.</p><p>Max hit Dean and he fell hard, passing out. Angela immediately ran to Dean and clutched Grace protectively.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Rita stared at Max as he walked toward her. Sam put the phone down and pulled out an iron rod.</p><p>"Max?" Rita's voice wavered. "Max? Max?"</p><p>Max knocked Sam back before he could press the iron rod to his skin, and Sam groaned in pain.</p><p>"Sammy!" Angela cried out.</p><p>Dean woke up suddenly at the loud crash of Sam hitting the nearby china cabinet.</p><p>"Max? Max!" Rita pleaded. "Max. Max, no! What are you doing?! M-Max!"</p><p>Dean grabbed the iron rod and pressed it to Max's exposed back before he could choke Rita to death. The deer max fell to the floor as Chester's ghost was forced out of Max's body.</p><p>"Max?" Rita gasped as Sam woke up.</p><p>"Mom, what's happening?" Max mumbled.</p><p>"Hey!" Dean tossed the deer mask to Sam. "Burn it now!"</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded as he caught the mask.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam ran outside with the deer mask in hand and started to open the Impala's trunk. Sam set the deer mask down on the ground.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Angela walked into the kitchen looking for salt, while Rita and Max watched.</p><p>"Come with us," Angela instructed.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam grabbed the gasoline and approached the deer mask when suddenly, Chester manifested and grabbed Sam, throwing him against the trunk of the Impala, knocking him unconscious.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean finished making the salt circle in the Johnson's dining room. "Angie, get in the circle with them."</p><p>"Dean—</p><p>"Kid, just listen to me, please," Dean stressed.</p><p>Angela relented and stepped into the circle with the Johnson's. Angela held Grace protectively.</p><p>"Okay. Whatever you do, stay inside this circle." Dean instructed firmly.</p><p>"I don't understand." Rita shook her head.</p><p>"Ghosts," Angela replied bluntly. "You want to know how this ties to your brother? Cause and effect. Wrongful death spawns a vengeful spirit."</p><p>"Chester." Rita gasped suddenly.</p><p>Chester manifested in the dining room and pushed Dean through the glass pane door.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam started to wake up and leaned forward, noticing the gasoline container next to the mask.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Uncle Chester, no!" Max pleaded as Chester started choking Dean.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam poured the gasoline over the mask and lit the match, dropping it onto the deer head. The mask burst into flames immediately.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Chester let go of Dean and staggered backward before he went up in flames while the mask burned outside. Angela immediately got out of the circle to check on Dean.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela stood with Donna by the living room entrance while Dough talked with Rita and Max by the couch. Sam held Grace, who was snacking on crackers.</p><p>"All right," Sam started. "I think it's, uh, time we gotta get out of here."</p><p>"Here's to hoping something less murderous brings you back to Minnesota," Donna replied. "Like Prince, or cheese curd fest!"</p><p>"You had me at 'curd.'" Dean smiled.</p><p>"I-I don't know how you guys do this, day in, day out," Donna noted seriously. "Figuring out who's possessed, who isn't. Your life's one big poop storm, isn't it?"</p><p>"Spoken like a true hunter." Dean chuckled.</p><p>"Really? Hunter?" Donna perked up.</p><p>"Oh, yeah." Sam nodded.</p><p>"I mean, with three cases under your belt, I think you earned it." Angela winked.</p><p>"Yay!" Donna beamed as she pulled the hunters into a large hug. "Thank you. Bye-bye."</p><p>"Bye-bye!" Grace waved one of her little hands.</p><p>"You know," Angela whispered. "You should give Doug a chance. He seems like a real nice guy."</p><p>Dean, Sam, and Angela walked out of the house, leaving Donna to think about what Angela had said.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, and Grace were in the Impala, speeding down the dark road. Grace slept in her car seat, holding her stuffed bear.</p><p>"I keep praying to God because if it is God—and I know you guys think it isn't," Sam broke the silence. "But if it is—then he's showing me something I don't know what to do with."</p><p>"What?" Dean and Angela asked.</p><p>"The cage," Sam whispered.</p><p>"Lucifer's cage?" Dean's brows shot up.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded. "What if he's telling me I have to go back? What if he's saying that's where the answer is to beating the Darkness?"</p><p>"Sam, no," Angela replied firmly, recalling the first time Sam went into the cage. "No, okay. We don't know if these visions are coming from God or PBS or what. But we've been down that road. "Anything having to do with that cage is—it—it's suicide. And you of all people know that." She explained. "So, no. Just… Not gonna happen."</p><p>"Angie's right." Dean agreed. "We're not letting you go back there. Ever."</p><p>"Okay." Sam murmured.</p><p>"Okay." Dean nodded.</p><p>Angela rested her head against Sam's shoulder and draped her arm across his torso. Sam wrapped an arm around her waist and stared out the window.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Just My Imagination Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Sam's alarm started blaring and he grabbed his phone off of his nightstand to look at the time. He sighed heavily and shut off the alarm so that he didn't wake Angela. Sam sat up and yawned, clearing his throat. Sam turned to look at Angela, who was still sleeping peacefully. He smiled softly and leaned down to kiss her forehead before he stood up.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam stumbled into the kitchen sleepily and turned on the light, not noticing the spread of sugary treats that was on the table. He yawned again and grabbed the empty coffee pot. He walked over to the sink and turned on the water. After a few moments, Sam shut off the water and walked back to the coffee bar.</p><p>However, Sam backtracked, finally noticing the various desserts that covered the kitchen table. Sam's brows furrowed in confusion as he took in the sight.</p><p>"Surprise!" Sully yelled from behind Sam.</p><p>Sam jumped in surprise and turned around, swiftly punching Sully in the face. He grabbed Sully's shirt in one hand and raised his other first. "Who are you?!"</p><p>"It's me, Sam!" Sully exclaimed gleefully. "It's Sully!"</p><p>"What?" Sam gasped.</p><p>"You remember me, right?" Sully asked. "I-I made all your favorite snacks. We were friends. Like, <em>best</em> friends." He chuckled. "You remember?"</p><p>"Sully." Sam raised his brows.</p><p>"Yeah." He nodded excitedly.</p><p>"No." Sam shook his head. "You're not real."</p><p>"Well, how'd you punch me…" Sully laughed. "Then?"</p><p>At that moment, Dean, Angela, and Grace walked up and stood in the doorway to the kitchen. Grace held her mother's hand. Dean and Angela took in the sight of Sam's fighting stance; however, they didn't see anyone else.</p><p>"This can't be happening," Sam mumbled in disbelief.</p><p>"Baby?" Angela asked in confusion.</p><p>"Dude," Dean started. "Who you talking to?"</p><p>Sam looked over at his family and nodded at Sully. "Him."</p><p>"Are you having a stroke? Do you smell toast?" Dean motioned to his face.</p><p>"Honey, are you okay?" Angela asked concernedly.</p><p>"They can't see me unless I want them to," Sully smirked proudly.</p><p>"What is all of this crap?" Dean mumbled as he, Grace, and Angela walked toward the table.</p><p>"Yummy!" Grace reached for one of the treats.</p><p>"No," Angela told her daughter. "We don't know where it came from, Gracie. And no sweets before noon, remember?"</p><p>"Mommy—</p><p>"Gracie," Angela warned, earning a pout from her daughter. "Sammy, when'd you start eating this stuff? Is that marshmallows on nachos?"</p><p>"This wasn't me, baby," Sam breathed out as he gestured to the food.</p><p>"It was me." Sully finally revealed himself. "And those are delicious."</p><p>Dean and Angela frowned deeply when they saw Sully. Angela immediately picked up Grace and held her protectively.</p><p>"Wait a second. C-can you guys see him?" Sam stammered.</p><p>"Uh-huh." Dean nodded.</p><p>"Who is that?" Angela asked her husband.</p><p>"Guys, this, um… I think this is… Sully," Sam stammered. "M-my imaginary friend from when I was a kid."</p><p>Angela's face softened and she smiled at her husband. "You had an imaginary friend?"</p><p>"You mean Mork from Ork here is your dumbass imaginary friend Sully?" Dean squinted at his brother.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded, chuckling lightly.</p><p>Sully had his hands on his hips. "Um, I'm not dumb or ass."</p><p>"I'm gonna get my gun." Dean turned to leave.</p><p>"No, please," Sully begged. "Someone killed my friend."</p><p>"You mean your imaginary, imaginary friend?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"First off," Sully pointed at Dean. "Imaginary friend is more of a descriptive term. How you just said it? That was a little… <em>offensive</em>, just to be honest." He explained. "Secondly, we're Zanna. Me and… Me and the victim were Zanna."</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela looked at each other. Dean just shook his head in confusion.</p><p>"We help kids. We're the good guys." Sully assured. "Sam, tell them."</p><p>"Yeah, okay." Sam nodded, pursing his lips. "Um… You know what? I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole you being real thing."</p><p>"Aw! Yeah, no, no, of course. No, that's okay. That's okay." Sully sympathized. "This is all really unexpected."</p><p>"Yeah, that's one word for it," Dean grumbled, eyeing Sully.</p><p>"Just… I need your help." Sully sighed. "All right, you're hunters. That's what you do, right? I mean, you help people, too."</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah, people." Dean stressed. "You are not that."</p><p>"Dean," Angela chastised her brother-in-law. "Come on."</p><p>"Come on?" Dean scoffed. "Angie, are you kidding—look, guys… This—mother—library, right now." He stumbled as he tied his robe tightly. "Come on!"</p><p>Sam sulked out of the kitchen and Angela caught up with him. Dean went to follow the couple, turning swiftly when Sully followed him.</p><p>"Ah! Aah!" Dean snapped.</p><p>"Yeah. No, I'll just stay here. Coolio." Sully gave Dean a thumbs-up.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela walked into the library. Grace squirmed in her mother's arms and Angela set her down. Grace immediately ran to Sam and hugged his leg.</p><p>"You're not actually buying this crap, are you?" Dean asked his brother.</p><p>Sam picked up Grace and walked toward a file cabinet. "Dean, when I was 9-years-old, you know what I wanted more than anything? Marshmallow nachos."</p><p>"That's kinda cute." Angela smiled at her husband.</p><p>"Yeah, you were a weird-ass kid, Sam." Dean shrugged.</p><p>"Yeah, well…" Sam pulled out a card with his free hand. "The only person I ever told about it…"</p><p>"Sully." Dean finished.</p><p>"Yes." Sam nodded as he set Grace down and walked to the bookshelf.</p><p>"I don't know, man." Dean shook his head. "I—hey, you know, maybe this is just one of your visions."</p><p>"Yeah, except we're all seeing it." Sam retorted as he grabbed a book and flipped through it. "And it doesn't involve the cage or Lucifer or me having to talk to Lucifer in the cage. Look at this." Sam set the book on the table. "Here. In Romanian lore, Zanna are creatures who guide and protect lost children. Zanna intentionally appear as figments of the child's imagination, allowing the child to move on with confidence once guidance is no longer necessary. Maybe Sully's telling the truth."</p><p>"Okay, say Bozo is legit. Right? Which, you know…" Dean snorted. "Hello, crazy town, but okay. How is this our problem?"</p><p>"Someone's dead." Angela reasoned.</p><p>"No, <em>something</em> is dead." Dean corrected. "A fairy Godmother getting capped? That ain't out beat."</p><p>"Yes, I know that, Dean, but…" Sam trailed off as he picked up Grace.</p><p>"But—but what?" Dean interrupted.</p><p>"But as messed up and insane as this sounds… Sully helped me." Sam sighed heavily.</p><p>"I'll call Jody, see if she can look after Grace for a bit," Angela added.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Menomonie, Wisconsin</em>
</p><p>"Thanks again, Jody." Angela talked on the phone as the Impala pulled up in front of a nice single-family home. "I'll check in later. See ya."</p><p>"That's the place." Sully stared at the house through the open window. "It's a horror show in there."</p><p>"You mean, you've been inside?" Sam asked, brows raised.</p><p>"Last night." Sully nodded. "I'm in management now, so I don't get out in the field much. I just came to see Sparkle."</p><p>"Sp—Sparkle?" Dean stammered.</p><p>"Yeah," Sully replied. "Oh, I show up and… I mean, the place was bananas. Kid had called the cops, mom's freaking out, and… Sparkle…" he trailed off. "Sam, it was horrible."</p><p>Dean rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Okay, so, according to Zanna rules, the kid is the only witness, right?"</p><p>"Yeah," Sully confirmed. "Oh, poor thing. I'll meet you inside."</p><p>Sam nodded while Dean and Angela just looked around when Sully disappeared suddenly.</p><p>"All right, what are you thinkin'?" Dean sighed heavily.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The car doors closed, and three hunters stood in front of the house. Sam and Dean were wearing sweaters while Angela wore a nice blouse and dress pants.</p><p>"Good," Dean said sarcastically. "The Bert and Ernie pretext. Awesome."</p><p>"Dean, you didn't have to come." Angela retorted.</p><p>"You know, this whole imaginary friend thing was dumb then and it's dumb now," Dean grumbled as they walked up to the porch.</p><p>"Yeah, you've made that pretty clear." Sam rolled his eyes.</p><p>"You didn't think to tell me that he was real?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"Well, Dean, I didn't think he was." Sam defended. "And you saw the lore book, too. I mean, maybe when I was 9-years-old I thought he was real, but I grew up. Or grew out of it. Whatever. I left it."</p><p>"I think it's kinda cute that you had an imaginary friend." Angela smiled up at her husband, causing him to blush lightly.</p><p>"What did you need drop dead Fred for in the first place?" Dean demanded.</p><p>"I was kind of a lonely kid, Dean," Sam muttered.</p><p>"You weren't lonely. You had me." Dean scoffed. "Besides, Angie was an only child and she didn't have an imaginary friend."</p><p>Sam just stared at his brother, pursing his lips tightly.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>1992</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sam stared at the motel telephone as it rang loudly and swallowed nervously.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Go on, bud." Sully urged. "Whatever happens, it's cool beans.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>After one more ring, Sam finally answered the phone. "Dean?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hey." Dean's voice rang through.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Did you ask?" Sam asked hopefully.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah, it's not gonna happen." Dean sighed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Come on." Sam pleaded. "You said."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Look, I said I would ask." Dean corrected. "Dad said no. What do you want me to do about it?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"But I've been shooting. I can run two miles." Sam rattled off. "I know silver kills werewolves, and—</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Sammy…" Dean trailed off.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No fair," Sam muttered. "You started hunting when you were younger than me."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah, well, I never had an imaginary friend." Dean retorted.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I heard that!" Sully exclaimed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Look, I'll keep working on dad, all right?" Dean assured.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Don't listen to him, Sammy. He's a germ." Sully comforted.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Now maybe you can come next time," Dean told Sam.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Sure," Sam replied, not really believing it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"All right, I gotta go. Call you in a couple days." Dean promised.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yep, I'll just be…" Sam trailed off when he heard the dial tone. "Here."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hey, come on. We can finally make those bottle rockets." Sully suggested excitedly. "Right?"</em>
</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam pulled himself from the memory as Angela rang Mrs. Berman's doorbell.</p><p>"Can I help you?" Mrs. Berman asked.</p><p>"Mrs. Berman, I'm Dr. Blake," Angela introduced. "These are my associates, Dr. Strummer and Dr. MacGowan."</p><p>"We are trauma counselors with child services," Sam added. "We're here to follow up on a police report filed yesterday?"</p><p>"Oh. That was…" Mrs. Berman sighed heavily. "Come in."</p><p>The three hunters walked into the nicely decorated home and Dean shut the door behind them.</p><p>"Uh, my daughter, Maddie, she's the one who called. Uh, she has an active imagination. She made up this unicorn man, Sparkle." Mrs. Berman explained, lowering her voice. "But, um, she thinks he's dead in her room."</p><p>"So, Sparkle is a unicorn and also a man?" Dean asked in a hushed voice.</p><p>"Yeah." Mrs. Berman nodded.</p><p>"So, a manicorn." Dean shrugged.</p><p>Sam, Angela, and Mrs. Berman all gave Dean equally confused looks.</p><p>"I… I guess?" Mrs. Berman shrugged.</p><p>"May we, uh…" Sam trailed off.</p><p>"Yes, please. Thank you." Mrs. Berman led them to the living room.</p><p>Maddie sat on the couch, staring absently out the window. Sam walked further into the room and sat down next to her.</p><p>"Hey, Maddie," he greeted gently. "My partners and I would like to ask you about last night. About Sparkle?" he prompted, earning no response. "Your mom says you don't wanna go back into your room?"</p><p>Maddie just shook her head silently as she continued to stare out the window.</p><p>"How come?" Sam asked softly.</p><p>Maddie leaned forward slightly and stared at Sam. "All of the blood." She whispered.</p><p>Sam paused for a moment and then looked up at Dean and Angela, who seemed just as confused.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Mrs. Berman led the three hunters to Maddie's brightly decorated room.</p><p>"This has been her room since she was a baby." She explained. "She's loved this room. And then last night…"</p><p>"Do you mind if we take a look around?" Angela asked.</p><p>"I'll be right back." Mrs. Berman nodded as she walked out of the room.</p><p>"Mm." Sam hummed as he looked around at the seemingly normal room.</p><p>"All right," Dean looked around. "What's the problem?"</p><p>"I don't know." Sam shook his head.</p><p>"I told you it was horrible," Sully said suddenly.</p><p>"You mind enlightening us?" Dean raised his brows.</p><p>"Oh. Mm." Sully muttered as he walked over to the hunters. "If I show you all we can see, you can't tell a soul."</p><p>"Oh, yeah, 'cause chicks dig the whole imaginary friend thing." Dean sassed, earning a disapproving look from Sully. "Fine."</p><p>Sully touched each of their foreheads and the three hunters looked around the room, which was now covered in sparkly red blood.</p><p>"Oh." Dean grimaced when he saw Sparkle's dead body. "Oh, yeah. That kid is gonna need all the shrinks."</p><p>"Wait a second," Angela started. "So, his… blood is glittery?"</p><p>"Even when he's dead, Sparkle can't stop shining," Sully replied sadly. "Who would do this?"</p><p>Dean walked over to Sparkle's body so he could inspect it. "It was a blade."</p><p>"Sully, can Zanna see other Zanna?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>"Of course." Sully nodded as Dean walked back over to the group. "But it's not what you're thinking. A Zanna could never do this."</p><p>"Nothing to see, right?" Mrs. Berman sighed as she walked back in and started cleaning up the blood-splattered toys. "I was always under the impression that it was a parent's job to let a child be a child as long as possible."</p><p>"Oh, this is bad," Sully muttered as he shook his head.</p><p>"Maybe we let her get too carried away." Mrs. Berman added, not noticing Dean's look of disgust. "I don't know," she added as she walked through a puddle of blood and picked up a stuffed animal. "I mean…" she sighed as she sat down near the window sill. "An imaginary friend named Sparkle. What's cuter than that?"</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, and Sully each had looks of mild disgust and concern on their faces.</p><p>"Oh." Mrs. Berman sighed, running a hand over her face and getting blood on it.</p><p>"Ugh." Sully gagged.</p><p>"I'm sorry." Mrs. Berman apologized. "I'm being as dramatic as my daughter now."</p><p>"Um, it's on her face." Sully cringed. "Sam, it's on her face!"</p><p>"Just tell me," Mrs. Berman stood up.</p><p>"She's got Sparkle on her face!" Sully exclaimed.</p><p>"How do we get our girl back?" Mrs. Berman asked worriedly.</p><p>"Somebody say something. Somebody's gotta say something." Sully muttered.</p><p>"You know what? Is there a spare bedroom?" Angela asked, earning a nod from Mrs. Berman. "Great. Maybe Maddie can sleep there. That should help."</p><p>"It's on her face." Sully practically gagged.</p><p>"And a hot shower does wonders," Dean noted.</p><p>"Real deep scrub. Purify." Sam added.</p><p>"For Maddie?" Mrs. Berman raised her brows.</p><p>"The whole family." Dean shrugged. "Yeah, just get the whole gang in there. You know, the family that showers together…"</p><p>Mrs. Berman's brows furrowed in confusion and Sully looked at Dean in disgust.</p><p>"Pull up! Pull up!" Sully exclaimed.</p><p>"Okay." Dean shut himself up.</p><p>"You know what?" Sam interjected. "Why—why don't you start there? You can contact our office for more guidance if you like."</p><p>Mrs. Berman looked at Sam for a moment and nodded. "Okay."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The next day, Sam, Dean, Angela, and Sully all got out of the Impala and walked toward the house where Nicky was killed the day prior.</p><p>"Nicky didn't check in with the home office last night," Sully commented. "This can't be happening."</p><p>"You gazoos can talk to each other?" Dean quirked a brow.</p><p>"Us <em>Zanna</em> share a telepathic link," Sully explained as the hunters walked toward the porch. She wouldn't be in there."</p><p>Sully walked toward the backyard and the hunters followed suit.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"A frickin' mermaid?" Dean asked as they walked up to the pool.</p><p>"It's a bloodbath." Sully took a deep breath.</p><p>"All right, just let it out." Dean sighed as Sam walked closer to the pool.</p><p>"Uh, no. No." Sully sobered up. "I gotta stay strong for Sam."</p><p>Dean reeled back slightly and blinked a few times while Angela just patted Sully on the shoulder comfortingly.</p><p>"Looks like more stabbing," Sam noted.</p><p>"Okay, Sully, is there anybody that would want to hurt Nicky?" Angela questioned.</p><p>"No. Well…" Sully trailed off.</p><p>"What?" Dean pressed.</p><p>"Oh, well, I mean, her boyfriend's a little clingy," Sully explained. "But he's one of my best friends. Guys, Weems would never hurt Nicky. I mean, he loved her too much."</p><p>"Well, too much ain't good," Dean replied. "So, let's go talk to the mermaid's boyfriend, because apparently, imaginary friends have boyfriends now."</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela moved to walked back to the Impala, but Sully stopped them.</p><p>"Wait! Wait!" he exclaimed. "We can't just leave her here. It's disturbing for the kid."</p><p>"All right, well, what do you want to do?" Dean asked. "Find a giant toilet and flush it?"</p><p>Sully looked horrified and Sam just rolled his eyes at his brother.</p><p>"Dean!" Angela smacked his shoulder. "That's awful!"</p><p>"You're right. I was…" Dean huffed. "What would you like us to do?"</p><p>"I think I saw some shovels back there," Sully replied.</p><p>"Okay." Dean nodded as Sully walked away. "Well, Totoro really cares for you, huh?"</p><p>"I think it's sweet." Angela took Sam's hand in hers.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>1992</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sam and Sully lied upside down on the motel beds.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Okay, I got one," Sam grinned.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hit me." Sully urged.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Ever think… You can fly?" Sam's eyes lit up.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Oh, sometimes. Like, on really windy days." Sully nodded. "You?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I used to, but I broke my arm," Sam answered.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Both Sam and Sully fell into a fit of laughter and Sully grinned at Sam.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Your turn," Sam said.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Okay," Sully paused in thought. "Ever think…" he gasped. "You could eat 10 waffles in one sitting?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Well, I hope so, when I'm big," Sam answered. "Can you?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I tried, once," Sully replied before he mimicked vomiting noises, earning a laugh from Sam. "Whoa. Head rush."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sam and Sully sat upright, still laughing together.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Ever think…" Sam trailed off. "About running away?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"From you?" Sully asked, shaking his head. "No way."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No." Sam looked down at his feet. "I mean, from here. All this. The hunting life."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Do you?" Sully asked gently.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sam paused for a moment and nodded silently.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hmm." Sully pursed his lips. "Ever think… That maybe you wanna go to school? Make some friends?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"But I have you," Sam replied obviously.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah, you do." Sully chuckled before sobering up and sighing heavily. "But one day you won't. Sam, I want you to listen to me. You can be whatever you wanna be. You're not Dean. You're not your dad. You're Sam." He explained. "And Sam is so awesome."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Can you imagine?" Sam asked. "Running away? My dad would kill me."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Well… It's your choice, Sam." Sully replied. "It's your life. I mean, it's all up to you."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sam paused for a moment and sighed. "Okay."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Okay?" Sully stood up, a smile on his face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Let's go." Sam beamed.</em>
</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Hey, slacker," Dean called out to Sam, who was lost in thought. "Are Angie and I burying Ariel by ourselves here or what?"</p><p>"No. Yeah, of course." Sam cleared his throat as he stood up. "Let's go."</p><p>Sully sat nearby on the plastic playset holding a shovel. Sam frowned in concern.</p><p>"How you holding up, Sully?" he asked.</p><p>"I'm fine," Sully assured. "How are you, Sam?"</p><p>"Aces." Sam shrugged as he continued to dig.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Just My Imagination Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Impala pulled up to Fletcher's house that night and they all got out to search the yard with their flashlights. Sam noticed a trail of blood that led them to the shed, where they found Weems inside.</p><p>"Weems!" Sully exclaimed as he ran to his friend. "Weems, are you okay?"</p><p>Dean flicked the switch and light flooded the room.</p><p>"Yeah." Weems groaned. "It went right through my love handle. My fat saved me. Can you believe that?"</p><p>"Fat is the best," Sully replied with a small smile.</p><p>"Yeah." Weems laughed.</p><p>"Yeah, well, the mermaid wasn't so lucky." Dean interrupted.</p><p>"Is he talking to me?" Weems whispered to Sully. "Who are these people?"</p><p>"They're friends," Sully answered.</p><p>"Hey, Weems, when was the last time you saw Nicky the mermaid?" Dean questioned. "God, I can't believe I just said that."</p><p>"Yesterday." Weems's brows furrowed. "Why? What happened to Nicky?"</p><p>"She was murdered," Angela replied.</p><p>"What?!" Weems cried out.</p><p>"Weems, I am so sorry." Sully apologized sincerely.</p><p>"No!" Weems sobbed. "She—she was my girl!"</p><p>"Sparkle's gone, too," Sully informed sadly.</p><p>"Not Sparkle!" Weems exclaimed. "Dude, that's, like, our whole posse."</p><p>"I know, right?" Sully's voice broke. "But hey, you're okay. You're okay."</p><p>"Okay, all right, so you're all pals. Is there anybody who would have beef with the bunch of you?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"I've never seen her before in my life." Weems shook his head.</p><p>"Wait a second," Sam raised his brows. "You saw somebody?"</p><p>Weems inhaled sharply. "Some chick. After she… Shivved me, she took off in an old VW Bug."</p><p>"I'm so sorry, Weems." Sully comforted as the hunters turned to talk quietly.</p><p>"So, this is a good thing, right?" Angela whispered.</p><p>"Uh, no, this is a great thing." Dean corrected. "I mean, a manicorn? A freakin' mermaid? What am I supposed to do with that? But a chick in a car? That's Terra firma. I'm home."</p><p>"All right, you go," Sam instructed. "Angie and I will, uh, cover these two."</p><p>"I gotta ask," Dean muttered, turning back around. "Hey, uh, acid wash. What's so special about you?"</p><p>"Mermaids dig me?" Weems shrugged.</p><p>"No, I-I mean, why do kids like you?" Dean rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Oh," Weems exhaled sharply. "I play air guitar."</p><p>"You play air guitar?" Dean repeated. "Sam plays air guitar. Angie plays air guitar. I can play air guitar."</p><p>Weems chuckled and grunted as Sully helped him into a kneeling position. Weems immediately started playing a heavy metal air guitar solo, shocking the hunters. Weems laughed, but then groaned in pain.</p><p>"That's okay, it's okay." Sully comforted. "Good solo. Good solo."</p><p>"Thanks." Weems groaned in pain.</p><p>"Well, he's no Clapton," Dean muttered before he walked toward the door.</p><p>"You know, I'm gonna get some bandages. Okay?" Sully told Weems. "Oh, I'll be right back, Sam."</p><p>"Wait," Weems started as the door slid closed. "You're not <em>that</em> Sam? Sully's Sam?"</p><p>Sam wrapped an arm around Angela's waist and shrugged. "I guess I would be. Yeah."</p><p>"So, now you and Sully are, like, back together?" Weems asked, confused.</p><p>"What?" Sam's brows furrowed.</p><p>"How old are you?" Weems eyed Sam.</p><p>"Wrong." Sam pointed.</p><p>"Look, I get it." Weems shrugged. "We all need a tune-up from time to time. It's okay."</p><p>"No," Sam replied firmly. "He, uh, came to me. I'm helping him out."</p><p>"Sam Winchester." Weems breathed heavily. "I mean… Wow. Hey, just so you know… Sully? You broke his heart, man."</p><p>Sam swallowed heavily and looked down at the ground guiltily.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>1992</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sam hung up the phone, a smile on his face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Ready to hit the road?" Sully asked happily.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No. My dad just called." Sam beamed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah?" Sully asked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"He changed his mind." Sam stood up and grabbed his bag. "He wants me to come with him."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"On a—on a hunt?" Sully stammered.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Finally!" Sam exclaimed as he packed "He thinks I'm ready. I have to catch the next bus to Milwaukee."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Are you sure this is what you want?" Sully asked gently.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I'm a Winchester. I hunt monsters." Sam replied obviously. "Why would I want anything else?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Well, I-I'm not sure it's you." Sully stammered.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sam opened the drawer and sighed. "Why can't you be happy for me, Sully?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Listen, buddy, I'm just afraid you're going down a path you might be better off not going down," Sully explained.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah, but I'm not afraid," Sam argued.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I know you're not. You're one of the bravest kids I know." Sully replied. "It's just… This whole hunting thing, you know, it's not the only way. There are so many other ways. And you can find one, Sam. You can leave right now."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I don't want another way!" Sam exclaimed. "I wanna be with my dad and—and Dean."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Look, Sam, I'm just saying this 'cause I'm your friend." Sully shrugged.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Pretend friend!" Sam whipped around. "You're not even real."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Well, I'm—I'm here as long as you need me," Sully replied gently.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I don't need you anymore, Sully." Sam retorted. "I don't even know why I made you up in the first place. I wish I could unmake you up."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sully swallowed sadly, the hurt settling in. "If—if that—if. That's what you want."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It is, okay?" Sam scoffed. "Just go."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You have a good, long life, Sam." Sully murmured before disappearing.</em>
</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam sat on a nearby chair in the shed with Angela on his lap.</p><p>"Sam? Sammy?" Angela asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Baby, are you okay? You zoned out for a bit."</p><p>"Huh?" Sam mumbled. "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay, baby. I swear."</p><p>"I'm gonna go check on Fletcher," Weems grunted as he stood up, all bandaged up. "Kid has a bladder like a sieve."</p><p>Sully chuckled as Weems walked out of the shed, closing the door behind him.</p><p>"You know," Sam started. "It's… pretty awesome, how you help everyone around you."</p><p>"Doesn't always work out, but…" Sully shrugged. "I try."</p><p>"Sully…" Sam sighed deeply. "I feel awful. About how we left off. I'm sorry. I was a kid. I was a-a jerk kid. And—and you were trying to help, and…"</p><p>"That's all on me." Sully set his rag down. "I mean, goodbyes are part of the job, and ours was…"</p><p>"Pretty bad." Sam finished.</p><p>"Yeah." Sully laughed. "It was <em>really</em> bad. You know, I'm not gonna lie to ya. When you went off to hunt, I considered that one of my biggest failures. It seemed so clear to me that you wanted something else." He sighed. "But… I was wrong." He chuckled. "And it all worked out, didn't it?"</p><p>"I don't know about that," Sam muttered.</p><p>"Come on," Sully smiled. "You're a hero."</p><p>"I second that." Angela leaned up and kissed her husband's cheek.</p><p>"Sam, you saved the world." Sully reminded. "I keep track of my kids. And you did really good, Sam. I mean, look at you. You got married… had a baby…"</p><p>"Yeah," Sam murmured, pressing a kiss to Angela's shoulder. "But, I mean… Not all good. There was some bad." He inhaled sharply. "And some really bad. Sully… I screwed up. I let something out into the world that was…"</p><p>"You mean the Darkness?" Sully asked, causing Sam's eyes to widen a bit. "That's what the others are calling it. I've just heard rumors."</p><p>"Well, I'm gonna fix it. I am." Sam promised. "Dean, Angie, and I, we're—we're—we're gonna fix it. It's just…"</p><p>"What is it?" Sully pressed.</p><p>Sam swallowed nervously. "I think God wants to help up fix it. But… I don't think I can do what he's asking."</p><p>"How bad is it?" Sully asked.</p><p>"There's this cage in Hell, and it's where they keep Lucifer," Sam explained. "And I've been in it, and it's…" he trailed off as tears filled his eyes. "And I think God wants me to go back." He whispered, holding Angela tightly.</p><p>Angela ran her hand through Sam's hair, comforting him. Sam inhaled sharply and sniffled, attempting to compose himself.</p><p>"Ever think…" Sully started. "About running away anymore?"</p><p>"I did," Sam admitted. "I mean, I have. But not in a while. Not anymore." He murmured, looking up at Angela.</p><p>Sully nodded proudly and Sam smiled softly. Suddenly, Sam's phone vibrated, alerting him that he got a text.</p><p>"Ever think…" Sam started as he read the text. "About hot-wiring a minivan?"</p><p>"In my dreams." Sully chuckled.</p><p>"Let's do it," Sam replied with a small smirk.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean groaned as he woke up, noticing that he was tied to a pole.</p><p>"Good," a woman started. "You're awake. Sam and Angela are on their way."</p><p>"Who the hell are you?" Dean grunted.</p><p>"I think we have a mutual imaginary friend." The woman leaned forward, glaring at Dean. "You know Sully?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Angela, and Sully walked into the barn and immediately noticed Dean. The woman held a knife to Dean's throat.</p><p>"Hold it." Sam reached for his gun.</p><p>"Reese?" Sully's eyes widened.</p><p>"Hey, stranger," Reese replied venomously. "You give me Sully, I give you Dean."</p><p>"What do you want with Sully?" Angela demanded.</p><p>"Ask him. He's the one who killed my sister." Reese retorted.</p><p>Sully inhaled sharply. "It was an accident."</p><p>"What?" Sam's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Reese and her twin sister, they were my first kids after I thought I screwed things up with you," Sully explained.</p><p>"So, this is his fault?" Reese glared at Sam.</p><p>"No!" Sully exclaimed. "No, Reese, I'm the one that bungled it. It was me." He added as she walked toward him. "I should never have let her chase me into the street. We were just playing tag. I don't know why I didn't see the car coming. That's why I never went back into the field." Sully explained. "That's why I never found another kid. I was too scared I'd hurt 'em."</p><p>As Sully spoke, Dean attempted to figure out a way to escape his bonds.</p><p>"Do you know how bad you messed me up?" Reese's voice wavered. "Audrey's dead because of the invisible man. Try telling that to about 10 different kiddie shrinks. I always wondered if Sully was real, so I got obsessed with folklore. I studied abroad in Romania, and then I found out he's a Zanna."</p><p>"Yes, and Zanna are good," Angela stressed.</p><p>"That's what the witch tried to tell me, too." Reese scoffed.</p><p>"The witch?" Sam frowned.</p><p>"She sold me a spell so that I'd be able to see these freaks." Reese hissed. "She gave me this, too." She held up her knife. "Finally, I can save other kids from these monsters."</p><p>"So, you killed my friends just to get to me?" Sully asked.</p><p>"And I would've done it sooner if these three hadn't shown up." Reese scoffed.</p><p>"Why didn't you call?" Sully questioned. "I would've come."</p><p>"Honestly, I kinda like watching you suffer. You weren't just Audrey's best friend." Reese's voice cracked. "You were mine, too. And after she died, Sully, I…" she sniffled. "I never needed you more!"</p><p>"I panicked when Audrey died," Sully whispered. "And I left you to deal with the pain 'cause I couldn't handle being the one that caused it."</p><p>"So, maybe I'll take something you love, Sully," Reese looked to Sam. "A real person."</p><p>"That's not gonna happen." Sam raised his gun.</p><p>"Will killing me make you feel better?" Sully asked gently.</p><p>"No, Sully, that's not the answer," Sam said firmly.</p><p>"This is what I do." Sully moved to stand in front of Reese. "Whatever's best for the kid. Reesy… If this is what you need, I'm okay with it."</p><p>"I'm still mad." She sobbed, pressing her knife to his chest. "I can't stop it. I'm just still so mad!"</p><p>"Reese," Dean stood once he broke free. "Trust me. Revenge? Ain't gonna make you feel better. Listen, I have seen more than my share of monsters. And I mean real monsters. Bad. These guys?" Dean raised his brow. "These are Sesame Street mother Teresas. But when I wasn't there for my little brother, Sully was. Now, look, I'm not saying that he didn't make a mistake, but you know that there is not a monstrous bone in his body."</p><p>"I'm so, so sorry." Sully apologized sincerely.</p><p>Reese sobbed and let the knife fall to the ground before falling into Sully's arms.</p><p>"Oh, Reesy, I'm so sorry." Sully comforted.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Reese drove away in her beat-up VW Bug and Sully stood with Sam and Angela.</p><p>"Well, now that you know about Audrey, you probably never wanna see me again." Sully chuckled nervously.</p><p>"Ever think… Maybe you're a hero to me?" Sam smiled softly.</p><p>Sully chuckled. "Yeah…"</p><p>"Sully… One thing I've learned—heroes aren't perfect." Sam replied.</p><p>"Mm." Sully nodded. "Sometimes, they're scared. But that just means the thing that they're facing, it's super important. And nobody else is gonna go for it because nobody else has got the balls."</p><p>Dean walked up to them and shoved his hands in his pockets.</p><p>"Well, it is that time again." Sully sighed.</p><p>"You, um, you'll look in on Reese?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Don't worry. I will be checking in." Sully assured. "And, Dean, Angela, thank you for looking after Sam. Dean, you are not a germ after all."</p><p>"Thanks?" Dean tilted his head. "You know, you're not gonna ever get me to admit that you're not the weirdest thing out there, but, um… You're a good weird."</p><p>"Mm." Sully hummed before looking at Sam. "Good luck, buddy."</p><p>"Hey, guys? Why don't you head to the car, I'll catch up." Angela looked at the brothers "I wanna talk to Sully."</p><p>The brothers looked at each other, shrugged, and nodded before they walked back to the Impala. Angela smiled softly at Sully.</p><p>"Thank you. For looking after Sam, Sully." Angela said sincerely. "I'm really glad he had you."</p><p>"Thank you, Angela." Sully smiled. "I'm so happy that you and Sam found each other. He seems really happy."</p><p>Angela nodded and pursed her lips. "If Gracie ever needs a Zanna… I sure hope it's you, Sully."</p><p>"She's a really happy kid who has a lot of people around that love her," Sully assured. "I think she'll do just fine. But I'll keep an eye on her."</p><p>"Thank you." Angela hugged Sully tightly.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The Impala sped down the dark road and rain pelted down onto the car.</p><p>"We need to seriously discuss me going to the cage." Sam broke the silence.</p><p>"Okay," Dean started. "Not happening. Good talk."</p><p>"I agree with Dean, Sam," Angela replied. "You can't go back there, baby. Even if these visions are real—</p><p>"Yeah. It's Lucifer? And me? In the cage? I know." Sam sighed heavily. "But this—this lump in my throat… It's not an excuse, not anymore."</p><p>"We'll find another way," Dean assured. "Okay? There's always another way."</p><p>"Okay," Sam pursed his lips. "Then tell me. What is the other way?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Angela was lying in bed as Sam got ready to go to sleep. Sam paused and looked at his wife, brows furrowed.</p><p>"Angie, what's on your mind?" he asked softly as he slipped into bed.</p><p>"Hm?" she asked.</p><p>"You've been off ever since you finished talking with Sully," Sam noted. "What's up?"</p><p>Angela sighed heavily. "I don't want Grace to be lonely. I grew up in the life as an only child, and it sucked sometimes. A lot of the time, actually. I just don't want Gracie to feel that way."</p><p>"Baby, she has so many people who love her. You, me, Dean, Cas, Jody… The list goes on." Sam assured.</p><p>"I know, but I mean other kids." Angela sighed. "Someone she can play with."</p><p>"Okay," Sam nodded. "Are you… Do you want…"</p><p>"Another baby?" Angela asked. "Yeah. I think I do, Sammy."</p><p>Sam smiled and kissed his wife deeply. "I thought you said one was enough."</p><p>"I was in labor when I said that," Angela laughed. "Sue me."</p><p>"Well, after we deal with the Darkness, I say… let's try for another baby." Sam grinned excitedly. "But for now, we can just practice."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. O Brother Where Art Thou Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Sam was surrounded by complete darkness and thunder rumbled around his as lightning flashed. He looked panicked once he realized that he was in the cage and turned around to face Lucifer. Lucifer walked toward Sam and placed his hand on Sam's face as a smile formed on his lips. Sam almost looked comforted at the touch.</em>
</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Sam shook himself from the vision, forcing himself back to reality. He was outside in a forest and looked up toward the sky.</p><p>"Is this <em>really</em> the answer? Is this what you want?" Sam asked.</p><p>Behind him, a bush burst into flames out of nowhere. Sam turned slowly to look at the bush and then looked toward the sky again.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Angela sat in the library with Sam in the bunker. Grace sat nearby playing with her dolls as the grownups talked.</p><p>"Because it's crazy, okay!" Dean yelled. "And it's not going to happen. How many times do Angie and I have to say that this is a horrible idea?"</p><p>"About as many as I have to say, 'okay then what else have we got?'" Sam retorted. "Listen, I'm all ears. Ordinarily, I'd agree with you guys, but the visions only happen when I reach out to God. I asked him for a way to beat the Darkness and the visions got more specific—and I was in the cage."</p><p>"Yeah, with Lucifer." Angela scoffed. "The biggest monster ever hatched. Super."</p><p>"You know, Lucifer <em>was</em> the biggest monster ever hatched, until we hatched one that's even worse," Sam argued. "Listen, in the vision, Lucifer…" he sighed heavily. "Touches me and I feel calm, like things will be all right. And that's not something I would ever come up with. I mean, that is the last thing that I would ever feel."</p><p>"If Lucifer touched you, it would be the last thing you ever feel. Ever." Dean stood up to pour himself a glass of whiskey.</p><p>"Why would God even ask this of you?" Angela questioned. "What proof do we have that any of this is actually real?"</p><p>Sam hesitated for a moment. "There was a burning bush."</p><p>"A burning bush?" Dean repeated.</p><p>"Like in the Bible." Sam reminded.</p><p>"You were in the forest," Dean noted as he sat back down. "There are bushes there and <em>sometimes</em> they burn! You know what, man? Maybe there is something to it all, maybe, and maybe there's not."</p><p>"Doesn't it make sense?" Sam argued. "I mean, Lucifer would know how God ended the Darkness. He was there."</p><p>Dean just shook his head and took a sip of whiskey while Angela just pursed her lips and sighed heavily.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sirens wailed in the distance as the three hunters stood across from Crowley. Sam held Grace in his arms.</p><p>"So, God assured you of this, did he?" Crowley quirked a brow. "Let's say you're making this up. I mean, I never think of you as imaginative."</p><p>Angela rolled her eyes, annoyed. "We're not saying it's gonna happen."</p><p>"We just wanna know—theoretically—</p><p>"If it's possible." Dean finished Sam's sentence.</p><p>"The cage is a can of worms you do not want to open," Crowley warned as he raised a hand to snap his fingers. "I believe this conversation is over."</p><p>"Is it?" Dean scoffed.</p><p>"Crowley, you know that the Darkness is gonna pound on everything, and that includes you," Sam added.</p><p>"Yeah, and you had a shot at taking her out when she was with you," Angela noted. "But apparently, you thought that sucking up was the way to go. And that didn't work out so well."</p><p>"Because she chose you." Crowley sneered. "And you couldn't control your girlfriend. What happened in that room? Why did she insist on sparing you?" he demanded. "What is she to you?"</p><p>Angela squared her shoulders. "You wanna know what she is, Crowley? How about God's sister?"</p><p>"God's sister?" Crowley's eyes widened a bit. "He has <em>relatives?</em> I had that kind of leverage under my thumb and I let it slip away."</p><p>"Can we focus on the big picture here, okay?" Dean cut in. "Can Sam meet with Lucifer or not?"</p><p>"In the cage," Sam added.</p><p>"No, not in the cage," Angela argued. "That's not gonna happen."</p><p>"Okay, then I don't meet with Lucifer." Sam retorted. "We can't let him out."</p><p>Angela noticed that Crowley was deep in thought. "What?"</p><p>"There may be a way," Crowley muttered as thunder rumbled.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Clearly, if Sam enters the cage, he's gone," Crowley commented. "I mean, yes, it's on my bucket list, but now's not the time to be selfish. Need a secure site, a way to neutralize Lucifer's powers."</p><p>"In Hell?" Sam asked.</p><p>"Yes, in Hell." Crowley retorted as if it were obvious. "So we have a modicum of control. You think I want that abomination running amok upstairs?"</p><p>"Is it possible to control the situation?" Dean questioned. "Because if Sam's not safe, it's not happening."</p><p>"Goodness mummy, loosen the grip." Crowley scoffed lightly. "Theoretically, it's possible. There are challenges. I can arrange a transit into hell. Opening the cage, that's another matter."</p><p>"You're the King of the joint." Angela frowned. "Don't you have a key?"</p><p>"It was sealed by God himself. Of course, I don't 'have a key.'" Crowley replied incredulously. "The mechanism is of divine manufacture. I believe its secrets, along with the spells for warding Sam, are recorded where many such mysteries are found. The Book of the Damned."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela stepped into Crowley's throne room where he was speaking to Rowena. Angela held Grace protectively as Rowena's face contorted slightly.</p><p>"Oh, you're not handing me over to them?" she scoffed audibly. "It's beneath even you. They're your enemies as well." She told Crowley.</p><p>"All right, Rowena," Angela cut in. "We get it. We're all enemies. Okay? But right now, we got bigger fish to fry. Then we can go back to killing each other."</p><p>"Ah," Rowena smirked at Angela. "The chicken's come home to roost. This ghastly force set free when the Mark was removed."</p><p>"So you know," Sam replied grimly.</p><p>"I've heard whispers," Rowena confirmed. "As bad as they say?"</p><p>"Well, let's just say that everyone in this room might hold a piece of the puzzle to corking it back up," Dean answered.</p><p>"Oh, really?" Rowena asked skeptically. "And what happens to me once the danger's past? How do I know I can trust any of you?"</p><p>"You don't." Crowley chimed in. "None of us do. It's a devil's bargain."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Rowena sat across from the hunters, still bound by her chains. Grace now sat in Angela's lap, sucking her thumb.</p><p>"Can this be true? His sister?" Rowena asked, shocked. "Oh, in my day, we'd all be burnt at the stake for even thinking any of this."</p><p>"You see then, mother, the need for urgency," Crowley replied from his throne.</p><p>"Well, if my deciphering of the book is so pivotal, I'd like to know what's in it for me." Rowena retorted.</p><p>"You mean, other than your life?" Dean asked, earning a look from Rowena.</p><p>"Speaking of which," Crowley stood up and walked over to the table. "I'll make you a little deal, mummy. You pitch in, like a good girl, I'll call off my assassins. No more looking over your shoulder… For now."</p><p>Rowena paused for a moment, thinking. "I'll need the codex, of course. And the code breaker Charlie devised."</p><p>"Yeah, you'll get limited access. Supervised." Sam replied.</p><p>"We need to know exactly this—how to open the cage and how to protect Sam once it is," Angela added.</p><p>"Just what's in this cage that's so dangerous?" Rowena inquired curiously.</p><p>Sam took a deep breath. "Lucifer."</p><p>"Lucifer," Rowena repeated. "The original dark prince?"</p><p>"Yes," Dean sighed heavily. "An archangel so badass that he was personally dumped in the cage by God himself."</p><p>Rowena forced herself to stifle a squeal. "Let's get to it then."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. O Brother Where Art Thou Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean and Angela stood outside of the crime scene and Angela had Grace in her stroller. Dean had his cell phone on speaker as they talked to Sam.</p><p>"Hey, Sammy," Dean greeted. "Sorry to stick you with witch duty, as fun as that sounds."</p><p><em>"Every bit."</em> Sam retorted sarcastically. <em>"But the stuff we're looking for is definitely in the book."</em> He added. <em>"Hey!"</em> Sam could be heard snapping at Rowena. <em>"Hey, hey, hey! No snooping around there. Focus. You guys find anything at the church?"</em></p><p>"Uh, we just got here," Angela answered. "The cops said that the, uh, the last time the vics were seen alive, one of them a priest, they were talking to some mystery woman."</p><p>"She was not killed," Dean added.</p><p><em>"Amara?"</em> Sam asked.</p><p>"Yeah, that's what we're betting on." Angela sighed heavily. "Apparently, it's a massacre. The place is covered in blood."</p><p><em>"She's upping her game,"</em> Sam muttered. <em>"She's gonna pass the point where we can deal with her."</em></p><p>"Listen, are you sure that you're… You're okay with this whole deal?" Dean asked concernedly.</p><p>Sam exhaled sharply. <em>"No. Not even a little. But what choice do we have, you know?"</em></p><p>"Okay, well, for the record, we hate it, baby," Angela replied. "Just wait for us, okay? Don't do anything until we get there."</p><p><em>"Right now it's just research, but you got it,"</em> Sam assured. <em>"Nothing without you."</em></p><p>"All right." Angela murmured. "I love you."</p><p><em>"Love you too, Angie,"</em> Sam replied.</p><p>Dean hung up and Angela looked up at him, worry etched on her face.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"You talk about trust." Rowena narrowed her eyes at Sam.</p><p>"No, I don't." Sam retorted as he pocketed his phone.</p><p>"You, your brother, and your bloodthirsty wife say we're partners in this holy war against Amara, and yet…" she held up her arms, causing the chains to rattle. "Trussed like a chicken."</p><p>"You're sitting there with the Book of the Damned and the means to read every word, and you think I'm gonna set you free?" Sam walked over. "Do I look crazy?"</p><p>"Well, you do have unresolved issues with your domineering older brother and the abandonment of your father." Rowena shrugged.</p><p>Sam rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed with the witch. "You know what? Just get back to work, all right?"</p><p>Rowena chuckled, clearly proud that she struck a nerve.</p><p>"We're running out of time here," Sam stressed as he turned to walk away.</p><p>"Aha!" Rowena yelled, effectively stopping Sam in his tracks.</p><p>"What? What now?" Sam turned around, clearly exasperated.</p><p>"Well, I'll need some ingredients, but you may summon Fergus," Rowena replied. "And tell him to bring a handcart."</p><p>"A handcart?" Sam's brows furrowed.</p><p>"We are going to Hell," Rowena smirked.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Angela walked away from the church and Dean pushed Grace's stroller and making her laugh. Suddenly, Angela stopped and fell into some sort of trance.</p><p>"Angie?" Dean called out, bringing her back to reality.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela walked throughout the park, Dean hot on her heels with the stroller. Children shouted playfully and there were dogs barking in the distance. Angela looked around, as if she were searching for something.</p><p>"Angie, what the hell?" Dean frowned concernedly.</p><p>Angela stood quietly for a moment before she turned to face the man working at the hot dog cart.</p><p>"Hot dog?" the man asked nicely.</p><p>"Yeah." Angela blinked a few times. "Uh, two, please."</p><p>Suddenly, Angela's phone started ringing and she took it out of her pocket, seeing that it was Sam. Angela let it ring a few times and she slowly looked over her shoulder to see Amara, and everything else seemed like it was frozen in time.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam paced, holding his phone up to his ear, waiting for Angela to answer.</p><p>"Sam, everything is in order. Fergus is coming." Rowena stressed.</p><p>"I promised Angie and Dean I'd call." Sam retorted.</p><p>"I promised Lincoln a fun night at the theater." Rowena scoffed. "Things change. It's now or never."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"You felt my presence," Amara noted. "That's why you came here."</p><p>"What's happening?" Angela breathed out, clearly frightened.</p><p>Amara touched Angela's arm and smirked slightly. Suddenly, the wind started howling out of nowhere…</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela and Amara were now in a swampy area surrounded by picturesque mountains. Angela looked around, obviously confused. She finally turned her attention to Amara and looked her over.</p><p>"You grew up," Angela commented flatly.</p><p>"Yes." Amara nodded, a gentle smile gracing her lips.</p><p>"So, this is you now?" Angela asked.</p><p>"At least for today," Amara confirmed.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Thunder rumbled and lightning crackled as Sam, Rowena, Crowley walked through Hell.</p><p>"Flop sweat, Sonny? Dread of what's to come?" Rowena smirked.</p><p>"Can it," Crowley growled. "Your barbs may amuse your circle of hags, but you have no idea what you're tampering with, what Lucifer is capable of."</p><p>"Well, dear, if you can't stand the heat, get out of Hell." Rowena sassed. "I must say, it's not as scenic as I'd expected."</p><p>"We're in the furthest reaches of Hell—limbo—where I send unruly souls for time-outs," Crowley explained.</p><p>"This is where I meet with Lucifer?" Sam asked as he looked around.</p><p>"What it lacks in ambience, it makes up for in security," Crowley assured.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Rowena started painting the sigils on the cage as Crowley and Sam watched.</p><p>"Makes your flesh crawl, doesn't it, moose?" Crowley asked Sam. "I get it. I'm the king of this place. Still not my cup of tea."</p><p>Sam chuckled humorously. "I don't know, Crowley. I'd say it suits you. Dark. Empty."</p><p>"Fascinating," Crowley scoffed. "The utter contempt, when I'm in the midst of saving the Winchesters' bacon. Again."</p><p>"The point of this is to save everyone's bacon, including yours." Sam reminded the demon. "Let's just hope she knows what she's doing. The cell won't hold crap if the warding's not right."</p><p>"Don't you worry about me, Samuel. I'm a professional." Rowena assured as she finished up the warding.</p><p>"You're certain you can do this without actually opening the cage?" Crowley raised his brows.</p><p>"We're about to find out, aren't we?" Rowena retorted. "Foro dega la moray. Mah ho tah!"</p><p>Suddenly, fire erupted around the perimeter of the cage and Rowena smirked proudly.</p><p>"Now… Let's have a go at that cage." She urged. "Foh reh say-lah!" she chanted as thunder rumbled loudly.</p><p>"It begins," Crowley noted grimly.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"You misunderstand my purpose on Earth," Amara told Angela.</p><p>"Well, do I misunderstand the people you butchered in that park? Or in that church?" Angela retorted.</p><p>"I had to get his attention." Amara walked past Angela.</p><p>"His?" Angela questioned.</p><p>"God." Amara clarified. "I tried praying, calling out in need. He ignored me. He forced my hand." She defended. "I had no other reason to harm his chosen. My issue is with my brother, not his creation."</p><p>"Whatever the deal is between you two, whoever threw the first punch, whoever was daddy's favorite—</p><p>"There was no daddy." Amara interrupted.</p><p>"Whatever." Angela snapped. "That mess is your mess. It's between you two. You're taking people's lives. You're taking their souls!"</p><p>"I consumed their souls." Amara corrected. "They aren't gone. They're a part of me. And in that way, they live forever."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam inhaled deeply and watched as the fire grew bigger. He exhaled nervously and eventually had to step away to compose himself. Crowley and Rowena watched as the fire started to die down, revealing Lucifer in his cell.</p><p>Lucifer sauntered to the front of the cage and gripped one of the bars, a smirk on his face. "My old friend Crowley."</p><p>"A mere acolyte, carrying your torch," Crowley replied.</p><p>Lucifer chuckled deeply. "You're too kind. To yourself. What do you want of me?"</p><p>Crowley looked over and Sam walked in front of the cage, his facial expression a mixture of fear and nervousness.</p><p>"Sam Winchester," Lucifer whispered fondly. "My old roomie. Hug it out?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"I gotta say," Lucifer started, now talking one-on-one with Sam. "I'm a little in the dark about this meeting. Am I up for parole? Time off for bad behavior?" he chuckled. "I don't really get visitors."</p><p>"If it weren't for the crisis topside, you wouldn't be getting one now." Sam retorted.</p><p>"Crisis?" Lucifer asked, almost excitedly.</p><p>"You're aware of the Darkness?" Sam asked grimly.</p><p>Lucifer inhaled sharply. "Yikes. That—that doesn't sound good. Um… I'm aware of what she was, but that was eons ago."</p><p>"She's been released," Sam sighed heavily. "So, now she's somewhere… or everywhere on Earth."</p><p>"However did that happen?" Lucifer asked flatly, already knowing the answer.</p><p>Sam pursed his lips tightly. "Point is, she poses a threat to all that exists. Including you."</p><p>"Hmm." Lucifer hummed. "Well, that leads me to my next question. Where's the big burrito himself? Where's God in all of this?"</p><p>"All current indications of his presence are that there are no current indications of his presence," Sam explained.</p><p>"What?" Lucifer asked incredulously. "Caught the fun bus out of town? Figures."</p><p>"Mm." Sam nodded. "But… recently he has reached out to an interested party."</p><p>"Who?" Lucifer asked curiously.</p><p>"Me," Sam answered.</p><p>"You?" Lucifer pointed.</p><p>"He answered my prayers," Sam noted.</p><p>"Did he now?" Lucifer leaned on the bars. "And what was Dad's suggestion?"</p><p>"To seek out you." Sam swallowed nervously.</p><p>Lucifer laughed giddily. "Get outta town! Seriously? Who'd have thunk it?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"I see the weariness in your eyes, the mistrust," Amara noted. "I don't blame you."</p><p>"Don't you?" Angela asked quietly.</p><p>Amara chuckled lightly. "It's incredible. How it endures, the propaganda. He was so threatened by me, fearful that I would make a more perfect creation than he, so he exiled me. Virtually erased me. Passed on stories that I was a threat."</p><p>"While your brother was going all Kanye, blowing his horn?" Angela quirked a brow.</p><p>"He encouraged religions as monuments to his ego," Amara scoffed. "Promised the fearful safety if they'd adore him. His way or the highway."</p><p>"Some people find comfort in that." Angela retorted. "Golden rule, brother's keeper. It is his universe, his rules."</p><p>"What if there were no rules?" Amara proposed. "No pain? No prayer? Just… bliss. That feeling that you have when you're with me." She walked closer to Angela. "For everyone, forever."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"I completely get why you came to me," Lucifer started. "Can't ignore God, right? God says, 'jump,' everybody says, 'how high'."</p><p>"So, does this mean you're on board?" Sam questioned.</p><p>"Well…" Lucifer trailed off. "I did help dad seal up the Darkness all those years ago. She's quite a force. Determined to take over everything even back then. Prone to tantrums. I can see why Pop is laying low." He mused. "Now that sis is here, God's not the only circus in town."</p><p>"Is she equal to him in power?" Sam's brows furrowed slightly.</p><p>"Raw power? Sure." Lucifer nodded. "But she's got none of the… Experience. God is a master strategist. That's why you're here."</p><p>"And why is that?" Sam demanded.</p><p>"Well, 'cause God needs me to help put the cat back in the bag." Lucifer chuckled. "Can't do it by himself. Seen that movie."</p><p>Sam raised his brows. "And?"</p><p>"And I need a ride out of here." Lucifer shrugged. "I mean, I look swell in here and everything, but I'd be so much smoke topside."</p><p>"You want a vessel." Sam realized.</p><p>Lucifer nodded, a smirk on his lips. "One who's… strong enough to hold me, handy, and available now. Catch my drift?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"What is it exactly that you want?" Angela questioned. "When you make the world of 'bliss' and 'peace,' what's in it for you?"</p><p>"What I deserve," Amara replied obviously.</p><p>"Which is?" Angela pressed.</p><p>"Everything," Amara answered vaguely.</p><p>"Everything," Angela repeated with a scoff.</p><p>"I was the beginning, and I will be the end," Amara promised. "I will be all that there is."</p><p>"So, you're… you're it." Angela raised her brows. "That would make you God." She added, turning her back to Amara.</p><p>"No." she scoffed audibly. "God was the light. I am the dark?"</p><p>"Then what?" Angela asked as she stealthily pulled an angel blade from the inside of her blazer.</p><p>"That's all you need to know for now," Amara assured.</p><p>Angela paused for a moment before she turned around to stab Amara in the gut. However, the blade just shattered instead of piercing her, and Angela's eyes widened. Angela dropped the hilt of the blade, letting it clatter to the ground.</p><p>"You had to know that was pointless." Amara chastised. "I know that you're a warrior and your instinct is to resist, but… I can't be resisted."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Angela breathed out.</p><p>Amara just took Angela's face in her hands and attempted to consume her soul, but nothing happened. Amara just looked at Angela and stroked her face gently and kissed her deeply.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Did you really expect me to agree to this?" Sam asked in disbelief, scoffing audibly. "So, what, I just disappear, while you take my body and get set loose on the world again?"</p><p>Lucifer nodded and shrugged. "I know. I know, Sam. It's a lot to ask. But desperate times require desperate measures."</p><p>"That's not desperate. That's certifiable!" Sam yelled.</p><p>"Okay, hold on there a second, cowboy. Take a breath." Lucifer commanded. "You have been working with Crowley. You passed certifiable three off-ramps ago. And look, I'm no fan of the ruler of the universe, but here I am, ready to pitch in." he added. "Sam, why do you think God sent you to me? To get my help, which I only now just offered. Sam, your visions were the word of God. You can't say no to that."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela practically shoved Amara off of her and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Angela just stared at the cosmic being in disbelief.</p><p>"What the hell was that?!" Angela demanded in disgust.</p><p>"The future," Amara whispered. "The <em>inevitable</em> result of our first meeting. What you've been feeling since that moment. What we both felt, that we're bonded. You're the one who set me free."</p><p>"No." Angela shook her head. "No, that… that was an accident."</p><p>"It was destiny." Amara beamed. "You bore the Mark. I am the original Mark." She pulled her dress strap aside to reveal the Mark of Cain. "You and I will be together."</p><p>"No." Angela denied firmly. "No, that's—that's not gonna happen. Ever."</p><p>"It's so simple, Angela," Amara started. "We <em>will</em> become one. Why wouldn't you want that?"</p><p>"Amara." A voice called out suddenly.</p><p>Angela and Amara both turned to see three angels dressed in their gray suits.</p><p>"You're going to surrender to us and to the judgment of Heaven." One of the angels commanded.</p><p>"Why ever would I submit to anything of God's creation?" Amara scoffed. "Tell your master to come fetch me himself."</p><p>"All of Heaven's on high alert," another angel started. "If you resist, each and every angel in the skies will smite you in a single unified blow. Now even you could survive it."</p><p>Angela's eyes widened slightly. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, dial it down a bit, okay? Look, if you take her down, a whole bunch of people are going to die!"</p><p>"We're at the point where sacrifice is inevitable." One of the angels retorted.</p><p>Amara clenched her jaw as one of the angels stepped forward and threw out her hands. The angel's eyes started glowing as he screamed in pain.</p><p>"Amara, no!" Angela pleaded.</p><p>The angel's body dropped to the ground roughly and Angela watched in fear as Amara swiftly killed the other two angels by just waving her hand.</p><p>"What have you done?" Angela demanded as thunder rumbled. "It's coming. They will smite you."</p><p>"Maybe now he'll hear me." Amara looked up at the sky.</p><p>Amara turned her attention to Angela and her face softened as she flicked her wrist, causing Angela to disappear.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela was suddenly back in the park next to Dean and Grace. She looked around frantically as time seemed to move again.</p><p>"You okay, kiddo?" Dean frowned in concern.</p><p>"I… Amara… She…" Angela stammered, clearly discombobulated.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"So, have you thought about it, Sam?" Lucifer cooed. "Do I have an invitation to look forward to?"</p><p>Sam paused for a moment, thinking about it. He looked back at Crowley and Rowena before he turned his attention to Lucifer once again. "No. I won't do it." He said firmly. "There has to be another way."</p><p>Lucifer pursed his lips and looked down as the warding sigils started to fail and the fire quickly disappeared. Lucifer smirked and suddenly Sam was back in the cage with him.</p><p>"Together again." Lucifer grinned. "Hey, Sam Winchester, you miss me? I bet you did."</p><p>Sam inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. As he exhaled slowly, he opened his eyes and looked directly at Lucifer.</p><p>"I have to say," Lucifer started. "You're—you're extraordinarily calm given the circumstances."</p><p>"It's pretty much exactly how God told me it was gonna be." Sam breathed out. "Guess I just have to go with it and play my hand."</p><p>Lucifer clicked his tongue. "And that would make so much sense if it was God that was doing the talking. You see, Sam, when the Darkness descended, the impact on Hell was massive. The cage was damaged." He explained. "Through the fissures, I was able to reach out. It wasn't God inside your head, Sam. It was me. So, you see, he's not with you," he smirked darkly. "He's never been with you. It was always just… Me. So, I… I guess I am your only hope."</p><p>Sam swallowed nervously as a rogue tear slipped down his cheek. "It's never gonna happen."</p><p>"Ah." Lucifer nodded. "Well… Settle in there, buddy. Hey, roomie… Upper bunk? Lower bunk? Or do you wanna share?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. The Devil in the Details Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam was trapped in the cage with Lucifer. It was dark; lightning flashed, casting an eerie glow throughout the cell. Sam turned to look tentatively at Lucifer.</p><p>"You?" Sam asked, his voice shaking ever so slightly. "The visions… <em>everything</em>… it was all you?"</p><p>"Impressive, right?" Lucifer retorted proudly.</p><p>"And Rowena?" Sam questioned.</p><p>"Did as she was told." Lucifer shrugged. "Groupies… they're always so eager."</p><p>"So, you did all of that just to… to what… jump my bones?" Sam narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"Literally," Lucifer confirmed.</p><p>"Well, you wasted your time then. You see, I know how this ends." Sam replied, clenching his jaw.</p><p>"Oh, do you now?" Lucifer asked skeptically.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded. "You'll taunt me and you'll, ah, torture me, and I'll say no. And eventually, sooner than you think, my brother and Angela are gonna walk through that door and kick your ass."</p><p>Lucifer laughed heartily. "Dean and Angela? You're betting on them?"</p><p>"I always have," Sam replied firmly.</p><p>"Oh, Sam." Lucifer sighed. "You got me all wrong."</p><p>"Ha," Sam laughed humorlessly. "I doubt that."</p><p>"No. No. I'm not here to torture ya. I mean, I could." Lucifer stalked closer to Sam, who backed away until he was pressed against the cell bars. "I could inflict pain like you can't even imagine. I could inflict such delicious perfect pain." Lucifer paused to stare sadistically at Sam's fearful face. "But that was so five years ago! No. I'm not going to harm a glorious little hair on that glorious little head."</p><p>"Then what do you want?" Sam demanded.</p><p>"To make you an offer you can't refuse," Lucifer answered confidently. "You see Sam, you need me and I'm gonna prove it to you."</p><p>Lucifer put his hand on Sam's forehead and there was a flash of light.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Lucifer now stood outside in a park, the sun shining brightly. Sam looked around, clearly confused.</p><p>"Recognize it?" Lucifer asked.</p><p>"What?" Sam's brows creased slightly.</p><p>"We're in a memory, Sam," Lucifer clarified. "One of the few good ones from your childhood. By the way, I thought I had daddy issues, but you, wow! Anyway, I think you recognize the dashing young beanpole over there."</p><p>Lucifer pointed to a teenage Sam sitting at a park bench with a pretty teenage girl. They looked like they were doing homework, laughing with each other.</p><p>"That's me," Sam whispered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean, Angela, and Grace were in the Impala, driving down the road. Angela tried to call Sam and Grace was coloring on a piece of paper.</p><p><em>"Hey, Sam can't talk right now because he's waxing… like everything,"</em> Dean's voice rang through the speaker. <em>"But leave a message."</em></p><p><em>"Dean, what are you doing with my phone? Dean, come on."</em> Sam's voice rang through.</p><p>Angela rolled her eyes and shook her head at the message greeting. "Hey, Sammy. Call me."</p><p>Angela hung up and attempted to call Crowley next.</p><p><em>"Thank you for phoning Crowley, King of Hell."</em> his voice rang through. <em>"For demon deals, press one. To report a sighting of that ginger whore Rowena, press two."</em></p><p>Angela hung up with a huff. Suddenly, both she and Dean started experiencing blurred vision and Grace started to cry.</p><p>"Dean," Angela gagged. "I-I think I'm about to…"</p><p>"Me too." Dean gagged as he pulled the car to the side of the road.</p><p>Both Dean and Angela barely made it out of the car in time to throw up. Angela took Grace out of the car as Dean fell to the ground and leaned against the Impala. Angela sat down quickly and threw up again on the ground.</p><p>"Dean? Angela?" Castiel walked over. "I came as soon as you called. Are you alright?"</p><p>"Cas?" Angela mumbled, her vision still slightly blurry.</p><p>"You're not alright." Castiel realized as he knelt down in front of the hunters.</p><p>Dean wiped his mouth with his jacket sleeve. "Obviously. What's wrong with us?"</p><p>Castiel placed his hands on their foreheads and frowned slightly.</p><p>"What are you doing?" Dean demanded.</p><p>"Stick out your tongues." The angel instructed.</p><p>"What?" Angela frowned as she attempted to soothe Grace.</p><p>Dean and Angela reluctantly opened their mouths as Castiel inspected them, trying to determine a diagnosis.</p><p>"Alright, are we done?" Dean grumbled.</p><p>"No." Castiel held up a finger. "Let me take your temperature."</p><p>Dean looked startled and pushed Castiel's hand away. "No… that's not going to happen."</p><p>"How far are we from the event?" Castiel questioned.</p><p>"You mean the angel nuke?" Angela raised her brows.</p><p>"Yeah." Castiel nodded.</p><p>"Ground zero is about a mile down that way." Angela nodded her head.</p><p>"That explains it," Castiel muttered. "You're suffering from smiting sickness."</p><p>"That… that's a thing?" Dean asked in disbelief.</p><p>"Yes. The angels… what they did… it released a tremendous amount of energy and there's fallout, so this whole area is poisoned." Castiel explained.</p><p>"You can heal us, right?" Angela asked.</p><p>"No," Castiel shook his head. "I can't and the closer you get to the blast site the worse your sickness will become."</p><p>"How worse?" Dean inquired.</p><p>"The last time there was a smiting of this magnitude, Lot's wife turned to salt." The angel recalled.</p><p>"Awesome." Dean scoffed.</p><p>"Alright, you need to go back." Castiel instructed firmly.</p><p>"Ah, no." Angela struggled to stand up. "No. No, we gotta… we have to see if it worked… see if Amara is alive or dead."</p><p>"We don't. The fallout doesn't affect angels. I'll go in alone." Castiel replied.</p><p>Dean looked at Castiel and his stomach churned. "Okay, yeah, it's probably better that way. We'll take a drive and go check on Sam. Maybe see if Jody can look after Gracie."</p><p>"Right. Good." Castiel nodded.</p><p>"Hey, Cas?" Angela looked up at the angel. "If it did work and she is dead, bring her body out."</p><p>"And if she's not?" Castiel inquired.</p><p>"Run," Angela answered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"So, the Aztec priests… they thought if they didn't sacrifice people the whole world would end." Young Sam explained. "So, they built all of these temples. The most amazing ones are in Mexico City."</p><p>"You've seen them?" the girl smiled.</p><p>"Last year, my Dad took me and my brother on a trip to Mexico." Young Sam explained.</p><p>"On vacation?" the girl asked curiously.</p><p>"Kind of a working vacation." Young Sam chuckled.</p><p>Lucifer sat on a park bench, enjoying the show while Sam stood a few feet in front of the fallen archangel. Sam looked at his younger self with a half-smile on his face.</p><p>"Have you ever heard of a Chupacabra?" young Sam asked.</p><p>"No." the girl giggled.</p><p>"Okay, good." Young Sam laughed lightly.</p><p>"Look at that, Sam; the simple girl from the one-stoplight town," Lucifer started. "And you… the worldly, handsome-ish… Sam Winchester. She didn't stand a chance. You remember?"</p><p>Sam's brows furrowed. "Yeah, why are you…"</p><p>"Shhh…" Lucifer hushed. "This is the best part."</p><p>"Sam, you know I didn't bring you here to study, right?" the girl asked shyly.</p><p>"You didn't?" young Sam frowned in confusion.</p><p>"No." the girl replied with a small smile. "I mean, I just think that you're smart and funny… and cute… so, I mean… if you want to make out?"</p><p>Young Sam smiled brightly and leaned in to kiss the girl.</p><p>"Boom!" Lucifer jumped up. "That's it. That's what I'm talking about right there, man."</p><p>"Kissing?" Sam asked, annoyed.</p><p>"No, Sam," Lucifer rolled his eyes dramatically. "This is the Sam Winchester that I remember. Bold. Decisive. Solid B on the tongue action."</p><p>"What is this about?" Sam demanded.</p><p>"You used to be a hero, Sam," Lucifer replied. "Hell, you beat me. Now… I look at you and I don't even recognize you anymore."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Angela and Dean walked through the bunker, looking around. They had just gotten here after dropping Grace off at Jody's.</p><p>"Sam!" Dean called out.</p><p>"Sammy?" Angela yelled.</p><p>Suddenly, her phone started ringing, and she saw the number 666.</p><p>"You son of a bitch," Angela answered with a growl.</p><p><em>"Miss you too, puddin'."</em> Crowley's voice rang through.</p><p>"Where are you? Where's Sam?" Angela demanded worriedly.</p><p><em>"Ah, there was a bit of a hiccup,"</em> Crowley admitted. <em>"Your husband is in Hell, with Lucifer."</em></p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Lucifer were now walking through a field. Sam looked up and saw the entrance to Stull Cemetery.</p><p>"Stull Cemetery," Sam muttered.</p><p>"I know; where the title fight went down," Lucifer recalled.</p><p>"Hey, assbutt!" past Castiel yelled as he threw the Molotov cocktail at Michael and Sophia.</p><p>"Assbutt, I-I-I still don't get that." Lucifer mused.</p><p>"Look, I appreciate the stroll down memory lane, but—</p><p>"Sam, have I ever told you how much I respect you?" Lucifer interrupted.</p><p>"What?" Sam's brows creased.</p><p>"Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't like you." Lucifer corrected. "I never liked you. You're… you're sort of prissy. But at this moment, when you stood toe-to-toe with me and won, I gotta say, you had balls kid."</p><p>"It's okay," past Sam assured Dean and Angela. "It's gonna be okay. I got him."</p><p>"You were willing to the hard thing, if it meant saving the world," Lucifer added.</p><p>Sam and Lucifer watched as past Sam, Sophia and Michael tussled, before past Sam dragged them all into the cage.</p><p>"That's not you anymore." Lucifer pursed his lips. "You've gone soft, Sammy."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Kenesaw, Nebraska</em>
</p><p>Dean and Angela walked down a lane toward a dingy building and Dean was leaving Castiel a message.</p><p>"Hey, Cas," Dean started. "I know you're fighting the good fight right now, but, uh, we need you at Third and Pine, Kenesaw, Nebraska."</p><p>Angela knocked on the door of the building and the slot window opened up.</p><p>"Password?" Billie asked.</p><p>"Really?" Angela asked, annoyed.</p><p>"Password!" Billie repeated firmly.</p><p>Dean rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration. "Camptown ladies sing this song. Do dah, do dah. Camptown… race track five miles long… oh do dah day… alright, let us in."</p><p>Billie opened the door and let the hunters in, a small smirk on her face. "Nice work, Bieber."</p><p>"Yeah, funny for a demon," Dean muttered.</p><p>"Not a demon. Name's Billie." She corrected.</p><p>"The reaper, Billie?" Angela's brows shot up. "My husband says you want to kill us."</p><p>"No," Billie shook her head. "I'm just gonna make sure that when you die, you stay dead. Subtle difference."</p><p>"So, what, you work for Crowley?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"With, not for." Billie corrected as she walked toward a table and picked up a metal box. "Strange days, Winchester. Times like this, it doesn't hurt to have the King owe you a favor." She added as she handed Dean the box. "For the limey."</p><p>"What is it?" Dean's brows creased.</p><p>"You'll see," Billie smirked.</p><p>"Whatever," Dean huffed. "Alright, just get us where we need to go."</p><p>"That's the plan." Billie walked to another door. She put her hand on one of the sigils and it lit up the warding. The door opened to reveal a passage into Hell. "Watch your step. It's a long way down."</p><p>Dean and Angela looked at Billie for a moment then stepped inside, the door slamming shut behind them.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Past Sam and Angela sat on the bench outside of the doctor's office while Sam and Lucifer watched the memory unfold.</p><p>"Sam, I'm—I'm pregnant. I'm about five weeks along." Past Angela said nervously.</p><p>"This is where it all changed, Sammy," Lucifer started. "This is where you went soft."</p><p>"Excuse me?" Sam narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"After the Leviathans, when Dean was trapped in Purgatory, you were here with Angela, finding out that she was pregnant. You didn't even bother trying to find Dean." Lucifer explained.</p><p>"You know what?" Sam snapped angrily. "Not that I have to defend myself to you, but Dean, Angie, and I promised we wouldn't look for each other."</p><p>"Right…" Lucifer nodded. "Whatever happened to the Sam Winchester who was bold, decisive, and ready to sacrifice for the greater good?"</p><p>"Right here," Sam promised firmly.</p><p>"And… so why did you let Dean and Angela talk you out of closing the Gates of Hell?" Lucifer questioned. "'Cause the old Sam never would've done that. Not ever."</p><p>"I didn't…" Sam trailed off.</p><p>"No, wait," Lucifer cut him off. "Here's my personal favorite, is you doing every stupid thing you could to cure the Mark, even after you knew it would go bad."</p><p>"My wife was dying! The mother of my child was dying!" Sam roared angrily.</p><p>"Yes! And you'd do anything to save her. Or Dean. And they'd do anything to save you. And <em>that</em> is the problem." Lucifer retorted. "Instead of choosing the world, you choose each other, no matter how many innocent people die."</p><p>Sam clenched his jaw in anger. "You're going to lecture me about hurting people? You?"</p><p>"You know I'm right, Sam. You know it!" Lucifer snapped. "And I know if you're going to beat the Darkness you have to be ready to die. You have to be ready to watch the people you love die. A long time ago you could have fought the good fight kid, but not anymore. You can't win this one, Sam. You're just not strong enough."</p><p>"And you are?" Sam scoffed.</p><p>"Hey, snappin' necks and cashin' checks is what I do." Lucifer shrugged.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Angela descended slowly down the stairs to Hell. They looked around cautiously until Angela noticed Crowley.</p><p>"Welcome to Hell." Crowley greeted.</p><p>"Where's Sam?" Angela demanded worriedly.</p><p>"Don't worry about Sam." Crowley rolled his eyes.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Dean scoffed. "Have you met us?"</p><p>"I mean, Lucifer needs the moose. He's not going to kill him—probably." Crowley shrugged. "You two versus the Devil… trust me, there's easier ways of committing suicide. We need to focus on Rowena."</p><p>"Okay, great. Let's kill her." Dean replied obviously.</p><p>"Easier said than done I'm afraid," Crowley sighed heavily. "And we need mother to slam the Devil back in his hole."</p><p>"Well, is she going to play ball?" Angela asked.</p><p>"She doesn't have a choice," Crowley muttered as he opened the box Billie gave Dean and pulled out an ancient contraption. "It's called a witch-catcher. Most of them were destroyed after the Inquisition, but, ah, Billie came through."</p><p>"Yeah, she's a peach," Dean muttered sarcastically. "What does it do?"</p><p>"You're going to love this," Crowley smirked.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. The Devil in the Details Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rowena was drinking her cup of tea when Crowley returned.</p><p>"How're Dean and Angela?" Rowena inquired.</p><p>"Pardon?" Crowley's brows creased.</p><p>"Little tip, love," Rowena started with a smirk. "The next time you go about making secret plans, check your pockets."</p><p>Crowley reached into his pocket and retrieved a hex-bag. He pursed his lips and tossed the hex-bag onto the table. "You heard?"</p><p>"Everything." Rowena sneered.</p><p>At that moment, Dean and Angela walked into the room. Dean was carrying the witch-catcher and Rowena smiled at the hunters.</p><p>"Not that it matters." Angela narrowed her eyes at the witch.</p><p>"What does that mean, dearie?" Rowena scoffed.</p><p>"A little tip, mother," Crowley started. "Never accept a cup of tea from someone who loathes you."</p><p>Suddenly, Rowena's smile disappeared as she began to choke. The teacup fell from her hands and clattered to the floor, and Dean took this moment to secure the witch-catcher around her neck.</p><p>"Get this bloody thing off of me!" Rowena screamed.</p><p>"I would, but this bloody thing makes you my slave." Crowley retorted, earning a scoff from Rowena. "Hop, on one foot."</p><p>"Please, Fergus," Rowena rolled her eyes. "I don't know what kind of Oedipal Fifty Shades you think you're playing at, but if you think for a second…" she trailed off as she started hopping on one foot, unable to stop. "Bullocks."</p><p>"Alright, let's do this." Dean nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Lucifer were back in the cage. Sam sat against the bars, looking defeated while Lucifer stood above him.</p><p>"Now Sam, I know this is a lot to take in, so if you need to take some time to noodle on it, that's cool. But, uh, the world is ending." Lucifer pointed to his watch. "Clock is ticking. You follow me?"</p><p>"What do you want me to say?" Sam questioned.</p><p>"A little word that starts with Y, ends in E-S," Lucifer answered. "Okay, you don't like me. I get it… I get it; sometimes I don't like me either. But Gabriel and Raphael are dead. God went out for a pack of smokes and never came back… and Michael… well, let's just say prison life hasn't really agreed with Michael. These days he's usually sitting in a corner singing show tunes and touching himself."</p><p>"So, you're it." Sam pursed his lips.</p><p>Lucifer laughed and nodded. "I'm it! And hey, I'm not the good guy, we both know I'm not, but the Darkness, she's the end of everything." He crouched down so he was face-to-face with Sam. "But I can beat her. We can beat her. You and me, together. So come on, Sam. Make the right choice, the big sacrifice one more time, man. Sam, it's time to save the world, man."</p><p>Sam looked at Lucifer for a long moment before speaking. "No. No."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Rowena was working on the spell while Dean, Angela, and Crowley looked on.</p><p>"So, this spell is supposed to slam Lucifer back in the box," Angela noted. "How long's this gonna take?"</p><p>"About five minutes," Rowena answered. "Unless Sam says yes."</p><p>"And if he does?" Crowley frowned deeply.</p><p>"If Lucifer finds a vessel, he'll be anchored to Earth. The incantation won't work." Rowena explained.</p><p>"And then we're screwed," Dean muttered.</p><p>"I'm sorry my lord, I tried to…" a random demon walked in with Castiel hot on his heels.</p><p>"Cas?" Dean and Angela asked.</p><p>"Oh good, the angel is here," Crowley muttered sarcastically.</p><p>"What's happened?" Angela asked worriedly.</p><p>"Amara," Castiel started. "She… She's alive. She… she sent this message…" he opened his shirt to reveal a message carved into his chest.</p><p>"I am coming." Crowley read. "Is that a treat?"</p><p>"Or a promise," Angela muttered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"What do you mean no?!" Lucifer growled angrily.</p><p>"You heard me." Sam retorted firmly.</p><p>"Okay, now Sam, I gotta tell you, this is selfish, man, everything—</p><p>"You are done. It's over." Sam stood up and walked toward Lucifer. "You know what? You talk a good game. You do. Hell, you almost had me sold a few times. But then I thought, what if you're right? What if you're telling the truth? What if you can beat her?"</p><p>"I can!" Lucifer yelled.</p><p>"Even though the last time it took you, plus three archangels. Oh yeah, and capital 'G,' God." Sam retorted.</p><p>"Oh okay, what, you mean the dead weight?" Lucifer rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Well, let's say you gank her… then what?" Sam questioned.</p><p>"I move to L.A., solves crimes." Lucifer shrugged nonchalantly.</p><p>"Wrong." Sam shook his head. "Then you go about starting the apocalypse, <em>again,</em> because you're an old dog and that's your old trick."</p><p>"Okay, first of all, you don't know that," Lucifer argued. "Second, even if I did, that's better than what she had planned."</p><p>"Is it? Really?" Sam raised his brows. "'Cause this is what I think, I think that whoever wins, your or the Darkness, everyone else loses. So, no. My answer is no." he added firmly. "This isn't because of Dean, Angie, or the past, this is about me having faith in my friends, having faith in my family. We will find a way. I'm ready to die and I'm ready to watch the people I love die, but I'm not ready to be your bitch."</p><p>"Okay, plan B," Lucifer muttered.</p><p>Lucifer punched Sam, who cried out and fell to the ground.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam's pained cries could be heard in the room where Rowena was still working on the spell.</p><p>"Sam!" Dean and Angela yelled.</p><p>Dean, Angela, and Castiel bolted out of the room, heading to Sam's aid.</p><p>"Don't!" Crowley yelled desperately.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Lucifer punched Sam in the face twice and the younger hunter fell heavily against the bars and raised his hands to defend himself from the blows.</p><p>"Hey, ass-butt!" Castiel yelled suddenly.</p><p>Lucifer turned to face Dean, Angela, and Castiel. "Dean, Angela. Uh, the other one." He snapped his fingers, bring them all into the cell. "Welcome to the party."</p><p>Sam gasped and chokes on his blood while Lucifer faced off with Angela, Dean, and Castiel.</p><p>"Scared?" Lucifer smirked.</p><p>"Not even a little." Angela retorted with a glare.</p><p>Castiel got out his angel blade, preparing to fight.</p><p>"Ah, ah, ah… moments like this, it's all about ambiance." Lucifer snapped his fingers, causing music to play.</p><p>Lucifer started to dance, mocking them. Castiel lunched for Lucifer, and he took this opportunity to talk to Castiel privately as Dean and Angela rushed to Sam's side.</p><p>"Are you okay, baby?" Angela asked in concern.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam groaned. "We can't win."</p><p>"We don't have to win," Dean replied. "We've just gotta last a few minutes."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>In the cell, the three hunters joined the fight, punching Lucifer as they tried to hold on until Rowena performed the spell. Lucifer was restrained by Sam and Dean, while Angela punched him.</p><p>"You hit like a human," Lucifer commented, only mildly irritated.</p><p>Lucifer kicked Angela across the cell and then turned to punch both Sam and Dean. Castiel lunged at Lucifer, but was easily put down. Sam managed to get to his feet, only to get an elbow in the face from Lucifer. Angela tried again but was knocked down, and Lucifer swiftly kicked Dean in the stomach.</p><p>Angela managed to bounce back up but Lucifer grabbed her around the neck and slammed her against the bars. Angela grimaced and gasped for air as Lucifer lifted her off the ground.</p><p>"Alright, Sam," Lucifer started. "I'm gonna make this real easy for you. You say the magic word or your wife dies… and we both know you won't let that happen."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Castiel charged at Lucifer, allowing Angela to get out of his clutches. Lucifer punched Castiel repeatedly and Castiel fell to the ground. Lucifer stood over the angel, putting his foot on top of Castiel's angel blade.</p><p>"So, last words—</p><p>However, Lucifer was cut off by a blinding flash of light. When the light finally died down, Lucifer was gone.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, and Castiel limped toward Rowena and Crowley.</p><p>"You're welcome…" Rowena muttered. "Anyone?"</p><p>"Bite me!" Dean snapped.</p><p>"I can make her do that." Crowley chimed in.</p><p>"So, what now?" Sam's brows furrowed.</p><p>"About the Darkness?" Crowley responded. "No clue."</p><p>"We'll figure it out." Angela murmured, taking Sam's hand in hers.</p><p>"Or die screaming," Rowena smirked devilishly.</p><p>"This has been a horrible train wreck, so we're done. Team up over." Crowley noted.</p><p>"What about her?" Sam pointed to Rowena.</p><p>"She stays," Crowley answered. "The rest of you lot… get the Hell out of Hell."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, and Castiel emerged to the street and the Impala. Angela stopped to talk to Castiel as the brothers continued walking.</p><p>"You alright, Cas?" Angela asked gently.</p><p>"I think so." He nodded. "I will be."</p><p>"You want a lift?" Angela suggested. "I'm sure Dean won't mind."</p><p>"No," Castiel shook his head. "You three go on ahead. I'll catch up."</p><p>"Okay." Angela nodded.</p><p>Angela walked toward the Impala and Castiel watched her go with a half-smile. Dean gave the angel a wave while Sam gave him a half-salute goodbye. With that, the three hunters got into the Impala.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Is he alright?" Sam asked Angela curiously.</p><p>"Tough day." She rested her head on her husband's shoulder.</p><p>"Yeah. Tell me about it." Sam agreed.</p><p>"You good?" Dean asked his brother.</p><p>"I don't know," Sam admitted. "I mean, what if Lucifer was telling the truth, you know, what if he's the only—</p><p>"No, dude." Dean interrupted. "The Darkness is bad. Her <em>and</em> the Devil, that's a nightmare."</p><p>"Dean's right." Angela agreed. "And baby, I am so, so proud of you for saying no. I want you to know that."</p><p>Sam nodded and gently kissed the top of Angela's head, relishing her company.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Into the Mystic Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Sam was lying in bed next to Angela, tossing and turning. Suddenly, Sam opened his eyes and bolted upright. He turned slightly, making sure that he hadn't woken Angela up.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam was now fully dressed, standing at the kitchen table as he cleaned various weapons. Angela walked into the room dressed in one of Sam's t-shirts and holding a newspaper.</p><p>"Hey, baby." Angela greeted Sam as she walked toward him.</p><p>"Hey." Sam leaned down to peck her cheek.</p><p>"How long have you been up?" Angela's brows creased in concern.</p><p>"I don't know." Sam shrugged as he continued cleaning the gun in his hand.</p><p>"Are you okay, Sam?" Angela asked gently.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm fine, Angie," Sam assured unconvincingly.</p><p>"Are you sure?" she pressed. "Because you haven't left the bunker in days."</p><p>"I'm fine," Sam repeated tersely.</p><p>Angela pursed her lips and sighed heavily. "Alright… Well, I think I found us a case. Harold Miller, 65. A resident of Oak Park, and old folks' home, was found yesterday in his room with his head bashed in. But get this—the doors were locked and there was no sign of a break-in."</p><p>Sam didn't respond and continued to look at the gun in his hand.</p><p>"Ghost? Demonic possession?" Angela suggested. "I figure it's worth a look. What do you think? Oh, and the best part is, Oak Park is 15 minutes from here. It's in our backyard, baby."</p><p>"And what about the Darkness?" Sam demanded. "What about Cas? We haven't heard from them."</p><p>"Okay, first of all, we've got zero on Amara." Angela reminded. "And Cas—Cas will be fine. He always is."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The Impala pulled up the Oak Park Retirement Living building and the three hunters got out of the Impala. Sam took the stroller out of the trunk and Angela buckled Grace into it.</p><p>"Seriously?" Sam asked as he pushed the stroller. "This place is an old folks' home?"</p><p>"Looks awesome," Dean admitted, gesturing to the sign. "Maybe we ought to make a reservation."</p><p>Sam chuckled at that. "Yeah, we should be so lucky to live long enough."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Inside the building, Angela was walking across the lobby and pushing Grace's stroller with the manager.</p><p>"As I told the police," Arthur started. "I was walking by Harold's room, and I heard a loud banging noise. And then I heard Harold yell from inside of his suite, 'Get it out of my head,' so I knocked on the door and called to him." He explained. "And when he didn't reply, I used my pass key to get into his room. That's when I saw him. He was on his back. His skull was, um… Well, there was a lot of blood."</p><p>"And nobody else was in the room?" Angela asked curiously.</p><p>"No." Arthur shook his head. "The windows and doors were locked. I even checked the security logs. Nobody was in or out of Harold's room all night."</p><p>"Hmm." Angela hummed in thought.</p><p>"I don't really understand what could have happened." Arthur shrugged, looking up as a woman walked by. "Hey, Mildred."</p><p>"Oh, good morning, Arthur." Mildred smiled sweetly.</p><p>"This is Mildred, one of our residents," Arthur introduced.</p><p>"Ah." Angela nodded.</p><p>"Good morning." Mildred greeted brightly, looking down at Grace. "Oh, hello!"</p><p>"Nice to meet you, Mildred." Angela smiled gently before the woman walked away. "Um, Arthur, do you always work late at night?" she asked as they continued walking.</p><p>"I've been, uh, staying here, actually. My wife left me." Arthur answered. "Via text, if you can believe it—a whole series of emojis."</p><p>"Wow," Angela muttered. "What did you do?"</p><p>"Oh, I didn't stand for that. Unh-unh. Fought fire with fire." Arthur explained firmly. "Sent her the poop emoji."</p><p>"Well, that's one way to fly." Angela wrinkled her nose.</p><p>Arthur shook his head in regret. "I should have sent the heart. I can be so stupid. I just wish she'd call me back."</p><p>"Well, hindsight is 20/20," Angela muttered. "Um, hey, listen—since you've been staying here recently, have you noticed any strange… sounds, smells, uh, cold spots?"</p><p>Arthur's brows creased in confusion. "What? Uh, no. Why?"</p><p>"Oh, just routine questions." Angela lied easily. "Um, what about enemies? Harold have any enemies?"</p><p>"Actually…" Arthur trailed off. "He had quite a few."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Dean were walking through one of the rooms in Harold's suite. Sam opened a dresser drawer and pill bottles rattled.</p><p>"Dean," Sam called out.</p><p>Dean walked over and peered into the drawer, his brows furrowing slightly. "What the hell?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam dropped several prescription pill bottles onto a folder that Angela had open on a table in the dining hall. Sam and Dean sat down and Sam pulled Grace onto his lap.</p><p>"Turns out Harold was stealing other residents' Viagra," Sam commented.</p><p>"I know," Angela replied, shaking her head in disbelief.</p><p>"A real dick move, huh?" Dean chuckled, earning unamused looks from Sam and Angela.</p><p>"So, we got an EMF hit in his room," Sam continued. "But we got an EMF hit on pretty much every floor in the building. How many people died in this place?"</p><p>"Arthur, the, uh… heartbroken manager, he gave me access to all the residents' files," Angela started. "This is everyone who has passed here. Now, uh…" she picked up a folder and handed it to Sam. "This guy, Jake Townsend, had beef with Harold, but it wasn't over blue pills."</p><p>Sam opened the folder and his brows shot up. "Whoa. Jake filed a formal complaint against Harold?"</p><p>"Yeah," Angela nodded. "Apparently Harold was stealing his pension checks and cashing them for himself. Now, when Jake died, his family filed a civil suit against Harold, but it just got caught up in the courts and never went to trial."</p><p>"So, maybe Jake stuck around as a vengeful spirit, took matters into his own hands." Dean mused.</p><p>"All right," Sam pursed his lips. "So, where's Jake Townsend buried?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>That night, Sam, Dean, and Angela were at the cemetery. Angela held Grace, trying to get her to sleep while Sam and Dean dug up the grave. After a few moments, Dean climbed out and sat at the edge as he took a sip of beer.</p><p>"Dude," Sam scoffed.</p><p>"Hmm?" Dean asked. "Oh, you got this. You got it. You're doing great. Besides, Angie ain't helping either."</p><p>"I'm trying to get my daughter to sleep." Angela retorted.</p><p>Sam just grunted as he continued to shovel.</p><p>"So, no retirement, huh?" Dean broke the silence.</p><p>"Hey, you're the one who's always wanted to go out blaze of glory style, preferably while the Bon Jovi song is playing." Sam reminded.</p><p>"I'm a candle in the wind." Dean nodded. "Yeah, but the way you said it, it was like that blaze of glory was gonna happen sooner rather than later."</p><p>Sam shoveled, looking preoccupied.</p><p>"Are you okay, Sammy?" Angela asked in concern.</p><p>"No," Sam admitted truthfully. "I'm not, actually. Not at all. Being so close to Lucifer again, that… brought stuff up. Stuff I thought I forgot about."</p><p>"You want to talk about it?" Dean asked.</p><p>"No." Sam shook his head.</p><p>"Well, look," Angela sighed heavily. "Lucifer is never getting out of that cage, ever. And you are never going back, period. So… Case closed."</p><p>Sam drove his shovel into the dirt and it clanked as it hit the top of the casket.</p><p>"And so is this one," Dean added as Sam pulled himself out of the grave.</p><p>The hinges creaked as Sam and Dean opened the casket and poured gasoline and salt on the body.</p><p>"Kind of nice being back on a case, huh?" Dean asked. "Get your mind off of things."</p><p>"Let's burn the bones so we can go home," Sam replied.</p><p>Dean and Angela shared a concerned look before Dean threw a lit match into the grave, watching it light up in flames.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, and Mildred were standing in a balcony area over the lobby of the retirement home. Grace was currently in her stroller.</p><p>"Arthur said he heard something, like a scream," Mildred recalled.</p><p>"And did you hear anything?" Angela questioned.</p><p>"I didn't hear a thing…" Mildred shook her head. "Except for the sound of Arthur bashing his head through that window. He just wanted that noise to stop. He said, 'Get it out of my head.'"</p><p>"Hmm. Did you notice anything else, a drop in temperature?" Dean asked curiously.</p><p>"No. But the power went out." Mildred explained. "And when I looked through the broken window, I saw something."</p><p>"What did you see, exactly?" Sam asked.</p><p>Mildred sighed heavily. "You're not going to believe me. They certainly didn't." she nodded to the police officers. "But I know what I saw. This isn't my first brush with something like this. I saw a ghost 10 years ago. Nobody believed me then, either."</p><p>Dean touched Mildred's hand comfortingly. "We believe you, Ms. Baker."</p><p>"Oh, Agent Osbourne, thank you." She said sincerely, holding his hand. "I feel so much safer knowing the FBI is looking into this."</p><p>Sam smirked and Angela stifled a giggle as Mildred continued clutching Dean's hand. Suddenly, something about one of the retirement home employees caught Sam's eye and he nudged Angela.</p><p>"Well, that's…" Dean trailed off. "I'm just gonna need my hand back."</p><p>"Oh. Okay." Mildred chuckled, finally letting go of Dean's hand.</p><p>"Ms. Baker, what did you see?" Angela asked curiously.</p><p>"It was a woman. Long, flowing hair, blood-red robes, sunken eyes, and—and she was…" Mildred's voice cracked. "Feeding on Arthur's head."</p><p>"We're so sorry." Sam apologized sincerely. "Um, excuse us for one second."</p><p>Sam and Angela walked away, taking Grace with them. Dean looked as if he was going to follow but Mildred grabbed his hand again.</p><p>"Oh!" she gasped. "Please don't leave me, Agent Osbourne."</p><p>"No, no. We're not going anywhere." Dean assured.</p><p>Sam and Angela approached the woman, who had her back toward them.</p><p>"Excuse me. Ma'am?" Sam asked, gaining no response. "Ma'am?" he reached and tapped her shoulder, causing her to face the hunters. "Sorry. Uh… Marlene." He read her nametag. "Marlene, Special Agents Butler and Ward, FBI."</p><p>"Do you know anything about what happened with Arthur last night?" Angela asked.</p><p>"Sorry," Marlene spoke with a slight speech impediment. "I wasn't working last night."</p><p>"Oh. Um… Were you working the night Harold Miller died?" Sam asked, earning a headshake. "All right. Um… Thanks." Sam attempted to sign the word 'thanks.'</p><p>"It's, um…" Marlene showed Sam the correct way.</p><p>"Right, of course." Sam nodded. "Uh, sorry. I-I only know a little. I-I took some back in college, but that was a while ago."</p><p>"Most people don't know any." Marlene shrugged. "I appreciate the trying. I should probably, uh, get back."</p><p>"Yes. Uh, thank you, really." Angela smiled gently before she and Sam walked back over to Dean.</p><p>"Witness?" Dean asked, glancing toward the woman.</p><p>"No." Angela shook her head. "Okay. So, apparently, not a ghost."</p><p>"No. No." Dean agreed. "Ghosts don't feed on busted-open heads."</p><p>"Yeah." Sam sighed heavily.</p><p>Marlene was folding a towel at her cart in the hallway, looking at the hunters as they talked.</p><p>"All right, Angie and I will check with the coroner, see if, uh, anything was missing from our first vic's brain," Sam noted.</p><p>"Fingers crossed it's zombies," Dean smirked. "And we can get our 'Walking Dead' on. Well, whatever it is… we've got to figure it out before the next feeding time."</p><p>Marlene continued to watch them, presumably reading their lips.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam was talking on his cell phone as Angela pushed Grace's stroller and entered the dining hall.</p><p>"Yeah, I got it. Okay, thanks again." Sam said before hanging up. "So, according to the coroner, part of Harold's frontal lobe was missing."</p><p>"And that tracks with banshees." Dean nodded.</p><p>"Banshees?" Angela frowned as she took Grace out of the stroller. "I thought Banshees were good."</p><p>"The ones tied to fairy lore are. They cry out as a warning to a victim's impending death." Dean slid the iPad to the couple. "But these guys… are malevolent Banshees—total dick bags. They use their piercing scream to drive their prey crazy. Forces the vics to crack open their own eggs, and then the Banshees feed on the yolk. Oh, and the only people who can hear the Banshees' scream are the vics."</p><p>"Well, that would explain why Mildred didn't hear anything." Sam reasoned.</p><p>"Oh, and they, uh, travel through mist, which explains how they got into Harold's locked room," Dean added. "And they only prey on the vulnerable."</p><p>"Harold did just have hip replacement surgery," Sam muttered.</p><p>"And Arthur's wife just left him. Broken heart." Angela shrugged.</p><p>"That's a kind of vulnerable, I guess." Sam nodded.</p><p>"They hunt the same place until it's picked clean," Dean explained. "And they only hunt at night, so that just gives us a few hours to figure out who's next."</p><p>"Then how do we kill it?" Angela questioned.</p><p>"Gold blade," Dean answered. "I don't have any in the trunk, though."</p><p>"I can head back to the bunker and grab a couple," Angela suggested. "I need to pick up some stuff for Gracie, anyway."</p><p>"And drive my car?" Dean scoffed.</p><p>"Dean, come on." Angela rolled her eyes. "I know how to drive."</p><p>Dean hesitated before finally giving the keys to Angela. "One scratch—</p><p>"And you'll kill me. I know." Angela took the keys.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Outside of the retirement home, Angela walked to the Impala and strapped Grace into her car seat. Angela got in the driver's seat and pulled away as the deaf employee watched her from a second-story window.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela arrived at the bunker with Grace in her arms and as she walked down the stairs, Angela heard a noise. Angela paused and drew her gun as she held Grace on her hip. As she walked down a long hallway she heard clattering sounds and sprinted toward it, gun raised. Angela approached a room whose door was half-open. Angela set Grace down and signaled for the toddler to be quiet before she kicked the door fully open and trained her gun on the figure.</p><p>"Hey!" Angela yelled loudly.</p><p>"Unca Cas!" Grace exclaimed excitedly.</p><p>Angela's brows furrowed once she got a good look at the person. "Cas? What the hell are you doing?"</p><p>'Castiel' stood in the dimly lit room with his back toward Angela. "Hello, Angela."</p><p>"Right, yeah." Angela scoffed as she lowered her gun. "We don't hear from you for days, you show up, you start wrecking the place."</p><p>"I'm sorry." Castiel sighed.</p><p>"Okay. W-what are you doing?" Angela questioned.</p><p>Castiel turned around revealing that he was holding various papers in his hands. "Well, I'm… Looking for a spell, something to draw Amara out, but there's… There's nothing. I had her in my sights. She was hurt. I should have ended it."</p><p>Angela walked toward Castiel, Grace following behind. "Wait, what? How?"</p><p>"Well, I don't know," Castiel admitted. "But there has to be something. And how many more chances are we gonna get?"</p><p>"Yeah, I know." Angela agreed. "Saying you're gonna kill her is one thing, but… Actually doing it's something totally different."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Castiel's brows furrowed.</p><p>"I've had two shots at Amara. I struck out both times." Angela explained.</p><p>"What are you talking about?" Castiel demanded.</p><p>"I don't even know where to start." Angela shook her head.</p><p>"Angela… Tell me everything." Castiel urged.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Mildred was in her apartment making tea where there was a sudden knock at the door.</p><p>"Come in!" she called out.</p><p>The door opened and Sam and Dean walked in, causing Mildred to smile brightly.</p><p>"Oh, Agent Osbourne, Agent Butler." She greeted happily. "Well, please, do come in."</p><p>"Sure." Dean nodded as he closed the door behind them.</p><p>Sam noticed a framed picture of a young woman holding a guitar. "Is this you?"</p><p>Mildred chuckled and nodded. "Yes, that was a long time ago. Before I got so good-looking. Please, have a seat."</p><p>"Sure." Sam smiled politely as he and Dean sat across from her.</p><p>"Like some tea?" Mildred asked.</p><p>"No, thank you." Dean denied.</p><p>"Uh, no, thank you," Sam told Mildred.</p><p>"Ms. Baker—</p><p>"Mm. Please, Mildred." She cut Dean off to correct him.</p><p>"Mildred," Dean started. "We need to be honest with you. My partners and I, we're not really FBI. He and I are brothers, and Angie is Sam's wife. We hunt monsters."</p><p>"I knew it. I knew it!" Mildred exclaimed. "I mean, what FBI agent brings their baby along? And I knew that damn ghost I saw years ago was real."</p><p>"Does this, um…" Sam cleared his throat as he opened a page on his iPad. "Does this look familiar?"</p><p>Mildred stared at the picture of the Banshee and gasped. "Oh, my God, yes. It's a Banshee?"</p><p>"It is," Sam confirmed. "Banshees scream at their victims, getting them to harm themselves, and then they feed on their—</p><p>"Brains." Mildred finished quietly.</p><p>"Right." Dean nodded. "Now, Banshees prey on the vulnerable, so Sam and I checked out all of the residents' medical records, and you have atrial fibrillation, which can be treated with meds. But it means that—</p><p>"I'm vulnerable? Am I next?" Mildred's brows creased in worry.</p><p>"We're not gonna let that happen. We're gonna protect you, okay?" Dean promised.</p><p>"Yeah," Mildred whispered.</p><p>"Now, Banshees only hunt at night," Sam explained. "So, you're safe right now. And we really need you to try and get some rest while you can. We'll be back."</p><p>Sam and Dean got up from the table and walked toward the door. Before Sam opened the door, he turned to face Mildred.</p><p>"One more thing," Sam started. "Do you know a housekeeper named Marlene? She's deaf."</p><p>"I think maybe you got your names mixed up," Mildred replied. "There is one person on staff named Marlene, but she's on vacation. Agent Butler, my granddaughter is deaf, and I could really use some practice signing. So, if there is a staff member that's deaf, I would love to talk to them."</p><p>"So would I." Sam nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Dean were walking through the hallways of the retirement home. Suddenly, Sam nudged Dean and nodded to Marlene walking from her cart. Sam and Dean walked toward the cart and they entered a dark laundry room.</p><p>Sam closed the door behind them while Dean turned on the light.</p><p>"What the hell?" Dean muttered.</p><p>On one of the machines, there was a strange triangular symbol painted with blood.</p><p>"Hey!" Marlene yelled suddenly.</p><p>Sam and Dean turned toward Marlene as she slid a knife across her hand and placed it in the middle of a similar symbol painted on a window directly behind her. The brothers were thrown back against the machine, struggling to break free.</p><p>"Dressing up as FBI to cover up your kills?" Marlene approached them, a gold blade in her hand. "It's almost clever. Never met a Banshee that could blend in."</p><p>"Wait." Sam's brows creased. "What?"</p><p>"I read your friend's lips." She nodded to Dean. "It's feeding time."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Into the Mystic Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marlene drew her hand back to slash at the hunters with the gold blade and Sam put his hand out defensively.</p><p>"No, no, no, you're mixed up!" Sam exclaimed. "You're mixed up. W-we're not Banshees. We're hunters. W-we're all hunting the same thing here."</p><p>"A-a Banshee," Dean continued. "In—in blood-red robes, right?"</p><p>"We swear," Sam promised. "Look, test us. Test us, please."</p><p>Sam and Dean each put a hand out, palms up and Marlene sliced their palms.</p><p>"See?" Dean hissed in pain.</p><p>Marlene paused for a moment before she pointed the blade at Sam's face.</p><p>"Hey!" Dean attempted to break free.</p><p>"Whoa, hey. Wait a minute, no." Sam pleaded as Marlene walked closed.</p><p>Marlene moved the blade alongside Sam's neck… until it hit the symbol behind him. The symbol glowed behind the brothers and released them.</p><p>"Oh," Sam breathed heavily. "Thanks. My name is Sam Winchester, and this is my brother, Dean."</p><p>"Eileen Leahy." She introduced. "The Banshee you're hunting… it killed my parents. A hunter found me in my crib, ears bleeding. Lillian O'Grady, this was hers." She looked down at the hunter's journal that sat on a pile of clean sheets. "She'd been tracking the Banshee. Never found it, though."</p><p>"So, Lillian raised you?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>"More like trained me." Eileen corrected. "She died when I was 16."</p><p>"On the job?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Cancer." She replied sadly.</p><p>"And you've been on your own ever since?" Sam's brows creased.</p><p>"I prefer working alone. Trust issues." Eileen shrugged.</p><p>"Yeah, we can tell," Dean grumbled as he raised his cut hand, holding a cloth to it.</p><p>"So, was your mom a hunter, or a witch?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>"No." Eileen shook her head. "Her father was part of this secret organization. It's defunct now."</p><p>Sam and Dean glanced at each other.</p><p>"The Men of Letters?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Yeah. How'd you know?" Eileen tilted her head.</p><p>"My brother, my wife, and I…" Sam smirked. "We're like you. We're legacies."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela placed a wooden box on a table next to a gold blade. "I tried to kill her."</p><p>"Well, the two of you are connected somehow by the Mark," Castiel noted.</p><p>Angela paused for a moment. "Yeah, no, it's, uh… It's more than that."</p><p>"Attraction?" Castiel's brows furrowed slightly.</p><p>"B-but not in a romantic way or anything," Angela assured. "I-I don't know how to explain it, Cas."</p><p>"Oh, Angela." Castiel shook his head.</p><p>"I know. I know, okay? Whatever it is," Angela unwrapped a gold blade from a cloth. "A… Attraction, connection… I got to tell you, Cas, it scares me. I don't know that I can stop it. I don't know that I can resist it."</p><p>Castiel placed a comforting hand on Angela's shoulder. "Hey, it scares me, too. But we will find out what this is, I promise. In the end, it may help draw her out. This could be a good thing."</p><p>Suddenly, Angela's cell phone started ringing and she walked away from Castiel as she answered. Grace pulled herself up from the floor where she had been playing and followed her mother.</p><p>"Sammy?" Angela answered.</p><p>"Daddy!" Grace clapped.</p><p><em>"Angie, look up Edward Durbin II,"</em> Sam instructed.</p><p>"Wait, what?" Angela frowned in confusion.</p><p><em>"In the Men of Letters' files,"</em> Sam replied.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela sat at the library table with Grace in her lap. Angela opened up a large book and began to read from it as Castiel walked up behind her.</p><p>"Holy crap," Angela gasped. "She's not lying. According to the Men of Letters' records, Edward Durbin II was inducted in 1939, part of a small delegation that was sent to Europe."</p><p><em>"Wow."</em> Sam and Dean's voices rang through the phone.</p><p>"Right," Angela replied.</p><p><em>"Yeah, her father had just lost his job. He had a nervous breakdown."</em> Sam noted.</p><p>"So, he was vulnerable," Angela concluded.</p><p><em>"Right,"</em> Sam confirmed. <em>"And her mom only knew some basic spells. She used one to banish the Banshee, saved Eileen's life. Angie, the Banshee we're hunting is the same one that killed Eileen's parents."</em></p><p>"Okay. All right. What's the plan?" Angela asked.</p><p><em>"Well, we're gonna use the same Celtic spell Eileen used to trap me and Dean,"</em> Sam started. <em>"When the Banshee comes for Mildred tonight, we trap it. And we hit it with gold."</em></p><p>"Right…" Angela pursed her lips. "I don't like using Mildred as bait."</p><p><em>"Look, we don't like using anyone as bait. But this is all we got."</em> Sam argued gently.</p><p>"I'm on my way, baby," Angela replied before hanging up. "Cas, I got to get back to Sam and Dean. Listen, about what we talked about, let's just keep that between you and me… Till we know more, okay?" she added as she stood up and held Grace.</p><p>"Angela, that's not—</p><p>"Cas, just… trust me." Angela pleaded.</p><p>Castiel sighed heavily. "All right. But the next time you face Amara, you won't be alone."</p><p>"Thanks, Cas." Angela smiled softly before walking away.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Dean were painting the Celtic symbol on opposite walls when Eileen walked in. She eyed their symbols critically.</p><p>"Not bad." Eileen shrugged.</p><p>"All right." Dean walked over once he was finished with his symbol. "I guess all we have to do now is, uh…"</p><p>"Wait." Eileen nodded. "Yeah."</p><p>Eileen walked away, wringing her hands nervously, and sat down on the sofa. Sam and Dean looked at each other and walked over.</p><p>"Eileen?" Sam waved his hand to get her attention as he and Dean sat down. "You okay?"</p><p>"I'm nervous." She admitted. "If this really is the Banshee I've been looking for…"</p><p>"Eileen, in our experience…" Dean trailed off. "Revenge is not all it's cracked up to be. Killing this Banshee is not gonna bring your parents back."</p><p>"I never met them. They're just pictures to me." Eileen picked up her wallet, opened it to a picture of her as a baby with her parents, and handed it to Dean. "But… They're family. My family."</p><p>"We understand. Believe me." Dean handed the wallet back to her. "But after you get your revenge, then what?"</p><p>"I have no idea." Eileen smiled sadly. "My mother was a lawyer. Be nice to follow in her footsteps."</p><p>Sam chuckled lightly. "I was studying law at Stanford when Dean came and got me so we could get our revenge."</p><p>"You've been hunting together ever since?" Eileen asked.</p><p>"Yeah. And then we met Angie, and I-I wouldn't do this without Dean and Angie." Sam explained. "They've had my back every step of the way. Even when I let them down."</p><p>Suddenly, the apartment door opened, and Angela walked in with Grace.</p><p>"Hey." Angela greeted.</p><p>"Daddy!" Grace let go of her mother's hand and ran over to Sam.</p><p>Sam picked up Grace and kissed her temple. "Hey, baby girl."</p><p>Dean, Sam, and Eileen stood up and turned toward the door.</p><p>"Eileen, this is my wife, Angela Winchester," Sam introduced as he adjusted Grace in his arms. "Angie, this is Eileen Leahy."</p><p>Angela shook Eileen's hand and smiled softly. "Eileen, it's good to meet you—properly, now."</p><p>"So, you're a… a legacy, too," Eileen replied.</p><p>"I guess so, by association." Angela chuckled. "Uh, right, well, uh…" she rummaged through a small duffle bag she had over her shoulder. "Let's see here," she pulled out two blades for Sam and Dean. "These are for you. And I'm guessing you already have one." She added the last part for Eileen. "Uh, guess we got an extra for Mildred. Where is Mildred?"</p><p>Just as Angela finished her question, the door opened, and Mildred walked in.</p><p>"Agent!" she smiled. "Um… Come here. I want to show you something."</p><p>Mildred took Angela by the hand and pulled her across the room, much to Angela's surprise. Mildred sat on the sofa as Angela stood awkwardly next to her. Mildred chuckled and patted the empty space on the couch.</p><p>"Well, come on and sit down. I'm not gonna bite."</p><p>"Okay," Angela slowly moved over to sit on the sofa.</p><p>Mildred and Angela looked out the bay window at the gorgeous sunset outside. Mildred smiled at the beautiful sight.</p><p>"I have the same view from upstairs. West-facing rooms, they cost extra. You know, you got to pay for the view."</p><p>"It's not bad." Angela nodded.</p><p>"Not bad?" Mildred's brows shot up. "Honey, it's almost as gorgeous as those two men you're with."</p><p>Angela giggled and just nudged Mildred. "You got me there."</p><p>"Tell me something," Mildred started. "When's the last time you watched a sunset without waiting for something to go bump in the night?"</p><p>Angela pursed her lips. "Never."</p><p>"Hmm. You should try it sometime."</p><p>"Yeah." Angela chuckled.</p><p>"I just hope this one isn't my last. I mean, does this stuff really work?" Mildred asked. "A Banshee shows up and… you cut your hand and slap it on one of those things, and it gets trapped. I mean, is that actually something that happens?"</p><p>"Yep." Angela reached into her bag and took out two golden blades. "And then it gets one of these. Mildred… Everything's gonna be fine. Okay?" she assured. "Tell me something. What did you do before you retired?"</p><p>Mildred laughed happily. "I was in a Patsy Cline tribute band."</p><p>"No." Angela gasped.</p><p>"I'm deadly serious." Mildred grinned.</p><p>"You ever miss life on the road?" Angela asked curiously.</p><p>"Nah. Nah, I had my fun," Mildred answered truthfully. "You want to know the secret to living a long and happy life?"</p><p>Angela paused for a moment. "Actually, yes, I do."</p><p>"Follow your heart. You do that, all the rest just figures itself out." Mildred explained. "I did that. I followed my heart. Traveled the world, made people smile, forget about their problems for a while. And then my heart said, 'Well, you're done.' I had my fill and… And I retired."</p><p>"Hey, you know, this place isn't what I expected," Angela admitted.</p><p>"Oh, life here is great. I'd just like to enjoy it a little more."</p><p>"And you will. I promise." Angela replied seriously before standing up. "I'm—I'm—</p><p>Angela cringed as she heard a high-pitched scream.</p><p>"Do you hear that?" Angela frowned.</p><p>"I don't hear anything. Do you?" Mildred's brows furrowed in concern.</p><p>"Sammy?" Angela called out.</p><p>The screaming intensified and the lights flickered as Angela grabbed her head, groaned, and fell to her knees.</p><p>Sam immediately handed Grace to Dean and ran over to his wife. "Angela?!"</p><p>"Oh, Sam, it's what happened to Arthur!" Mildred cried.</p><p>"Hey, hey, Angie," Sam tried to comfort her.</p><p>Sam and Angela were kneeling on the floor. Angela looked over Sam's shoulder and saw the Banshee screaming. Angela had blood dripping from her eyes.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Meanwhile, Dean took Grace to the bathroom and knelt in front of her. "Grace, stay here and cover your ears, okay?"</p><p>Grace immediately put her hands over her ears. "Kay, Unca Dean!"</p><p>"Good girl." Dean praised. "Everything's gonna be fine, sweetheart."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Angie, baby, look at me." Sam pleaded.</p><p>"Sam, it's here!" Angela cried.</p><p>The Banshee howled and then vaporized into black smoke. Angela stood up, holding her head. Everyone looked around for the Banshee. Suddenly, the screaming started again and the Banshee appeared behind Eileen. She whirled around and swung the gold blade at the Banshee. The Banshee flung her across the room into a bookshelf.</p><p>"Eileen!" Mildred screamed.</p><p>Sam ran at the Banshee, swung his blade, and sliced her arm. The cut glowed as the Banshee waved her arm and threw Sam across the room. He crashed through a door and landed on the floor in the adjacent room. In the main room, Angela was grunting and banging her head against a door frame. Mildred grabbed her from behind.</p><p>"Angela, stop!" Mildred exclaimed. "Stop!"</p><p>"Mildred!" Eileen called out, getting her attention.</p><p>Eileen signed 'The Symbol' and pointed to her palm, then the symbol on the wall.</p><p>Angela continued banging her head as the Banshee flew in behind her. Mildred sliced her palm with the gold blade and slapped her palm in the middle of the symbol. The Banshee was flung across the room and was pinned onto the second symbol. Eileen grabbed a gold blade from the floor, ran across the room, and stabbed the Banshee in the stomach. The wound glowed and the Banshee once again vaporized into black smoke. The screaming stopped and the lights came back on.</p><p>Angela sat up from where she had been hunched over. She was bleeding from her head and Sam ran over to her. Dean came out of the bathroom, holding Grace.</p><p>"Mommy!" Grace cried.</p><p>"Mommy's okay, she's okay," Dean assured the toddler before looking at Angela in worry.</p><p>"You okay, Angela?" Mildred asked concernedly.</p><p>"It's all right, baby. It's okay, it's over." Sam comforted.</p><p>Sam looked over to Eileen and signed 'thank you,' and Eileen just nodded back.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The next day, Sam, Angela, and Eileen were walking away from the retirement home. Grace walked alongside her mother, holding her hand.</p><p>"So… how do you feel?" Sam asked.</p><p>"It felt like… Just another kill." Eileen shrugged. "It didn't bring my parents back. Nothing will."</p><p>"What now? Law school?" Sam smirked.</p><p>"No." Eileen shook her head. "This is my life."</p><p>"Feel free to drop a line if you ever need anything… Or even if you just want to hang out." Angela replied sincerely.</p><p>Eileen smiled brightly. "You can't call me, though."</p><p>"Okay." Sam chuckled.</p><p>"I mean, you could call, but I won't answer." Eileen laughed.</p><p>Mildred walked over with Dean, clutching his arm. "All right. You lot stay out of trouble."</p><p>"That's not gonna happen, Mildred." Dean chuckled.</p><p>Mildred laughed lightly as Sam, Dean, Angela, and Grace walked away and got into the Impala.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam was sitting at the kitchen table in the bunker looking at his iPad. Angela walked in behind him and Sam grabbed a can of beer and tossed it over his shoulder to Angela. Angela caught it easily and sat down across from her husband.</p><p>"Is Cas gone?" Sam asked.</p><p>"Yeah, I guess so." Angela shrugged.</p><p>"What was he doing here anyway?"</p><p>"He was looking for lore on the Darkness," Angela answered. "Something a little off about him, too."</p><p>"Something <em>always</em> seems a little bit off about Cas." Sam scoffed. "Yeah, you know, being so close to Lucifer probably wasn't easy for him, either."</p><p>"We'll just keep an eye on him," Angela noted.</p><p>"You were right, by the way." Sam looked at his wife. "Getting back on the job, it… it helped."</p><p>"Well, I usually am right," Angela smirked.</p><p>"Shut up." Sam laughed before quickly sobering up. "Angie… When I was with Lucifer, he, um, he showed me things. It was like a highlight reel of my biggest failures."</p><p>"Yeah, he was messing with you," Angela replied obviously. "That's what he does."</p><p>"Give me a sec," Sam sighed. "I'm sorry, for every crappy thing I've done to you and Dean. I've never forgiven myself for any of it."</p><p>"Well… Dean and I have." Angela replied sincerely. "Baby, it's in the past. What's done is done. All that matters now, all that's ever mattered, is that our family is together."</p><p>"Yeah." Sam murmured. "You coming to bed tonight?"</p><p>"I still have some ringing in my head, so who knows." Angela sipped her drink. "What about you?"</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah, I think so." Sam nodded before picking up his beer and iPad. "You know… I still can't figure that out. I mean, Banshees go after the vulnerable, right? So, why did it go after you?"</p><p>"You're overthinking it." Angela lied. "It was going after Mildred, it saw my gold blade, acted out of self-defense."</p><p>"Yeah. You're probably right." Sam nodded.</p><p>"As I said, I'm always right." Angela smiled.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah." Sam rolled his eyes playfully. "I love you."</p><p>"I love you, too," Angela replied before Sam walked out.</p><p>After Sam left, Angela's smile immediately faded, and she looked quite troubled…</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Don't You Forget About Me Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Sam and Angela were sitting at the library table looking at the computer while Grace sat on Sam's lap. Dean walked in with a fast-food bag.</p><p>"Did you catch us a case?" Dean asked hopefully.</p><p>"Uh, no." Sam shook his head. "Some dude took a picture of a weasel riding a flying woodpecker. Midair."</p><p>"It's kind of nuts," Angela added.</p><p>"So, I'm guessing there's nothing on the Amara-meter, either?" Dean quirked a brow.</p><p>"Nope. I'm starting to think that God's psycho sister has gone to ground." Angela huffed. "I haven't heard from Cas, either, not since I ran into him here."</p><p>"All this quiet's starting to wake me up," Sam muttered.</p><p>Dean pulled out his takeout food and placed it on the table, looking very excited.</p><p>"What the hell is that?" Sam cringed.</p><p>"That?" Dean pointed to his food. "That's the Elvis."</p><p>"The Elvis?" Angela raised her brows.</p><p>"Mmm-hmm." Dean hummed.</p><p>Sam reached out to touch it. "Is that a-?"</p><p>"That's a glazed donut."</p><p>"Yummy!" Grace reached out for the treat.</p><p>"Absolutely not." Sam stopped his daughter, earning a pout from the toddler.</p><p>"Two, actually." Dean continued. "One topside, one on the bottom. Now, your inferior versions, they'll just take one donut, spit it right down the middle. Mmm-mm." he clicked his tongue. "Boom!"</p><p>Sam snorted, slightly amused. "Alright, well, uh, I hope you enjoy it." He slid the sugary treat away from him. "Wow."</p><p>Dean reeled back, almost offended. "You know there are starving children out there."</p><p>"Dude, I'm not gonna survive hundreds of monster attacks to get flatlined by some double donut monstrosity," Sam argued.</p><p>"The Elvis!" Dean snapped.</p><p>Suddenly, Angela's phone started ringing, relieving her from witnessing the brothers' argument.</p><p>"Whatever!" Sam exclaimed. "How many calories are in that thing?"</p><p>"Hey!" Angela answered. "Long time. Your <em>Caddyshack</em> review is way overdue. Yeah. You got it. We're there."</p><p>Sam and Dean looked up once Angela hung up the phone.</p><p>"How do you boys feel about South Dakota?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Sioux Falls, South Dakota</em>
</p><p>Jody and Alex walked into the house to find Sam, Dean, Angela, and Grace sitting in the living room.</p><p>"Well, there goes the neighborhood," Jody called out. "Hi."</p><p>"Auntie Jody!" Grace ran over.</p><p>Jody set down the grocery bags and picked up Grace, causing her to squeal in delight.</p><p>"Hey, munchkin." Jody grinned.</p><p>"Jody." Sam got up to give her a hug. "Hey. Let me help you out." He took the grocery bags off the floor.</p><p>"Oh, thank you!" Jody replied.</p><p>"Oh, it's so good to see you." Angela hugged Jody.</p><p>Jody adjusted Grace and held an arm open for a hug. "Come here."</p><p>"It has been too long." Dean smiled as he walked over.</p><p>"Hey." Jody hugged Dean.</p><p>"Yeah, clearly it's been too long, 'cause Alex, that is you, right?" Angela raised her brows.</p><p>"I don't look that different!"</p><p>"It's amazing what you can accomplish when you spend two hours in the bathroom every morning." Claire sassed from her spot on the sofa.</p><p>"Since when are you even up in the morning?" Alex scoffed. "I'm surprised you're awake now."</p><p>"Hey!" Jody snapped. "I'm pretty sure the boys and Angie didn't come here to watch you two kill each other." She added before turning to the hunters. "Is everything okay? I didn't accidentally butt-dial you or anything, did I? Do you need me to watch Grace?"</p><p>"I called." Claire stood up. "About the monsters. That you <em>refuse</em> to believe are monsters."</p><p>"Oh—you gotta be kidding me." Jody rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You know, if you'd just checked in with me, I could have saved you a trip."</p><p>"Well, we figure we owed you a visit," Dean replied.</p><p>"And you know what, actually—I could use the backup." Jody set Grace down and turned to Sam. "Let me have that." She took the grocery bags.</p><p>"Yep." Sam nodded.</p><p>"I'm gonna put another chicken on. You settle in." Jody instructed.</p><p>"I can help!" Grace exclaimed excitedly.</p><p>"Of course," Jody smiled. "Follow me, Gracie."</p><p>"…You might wanna make it two!" Dean called out.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam agreed.</p><p>"I'm starving," Dean muttered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Jody, Claire, Alex, Angela, Sam, Dean, and Grace were all sitting at the table eating a chicken dinner. Grace sat on a booster chair and Angela helped cut up her food. Meanwhile, Sam and Dean were eating like they hadn't had a proper meal in ages.</p><p>"Sam and Dean Winchester, if you don't start eating like normal human beings…" Angela chided.</p><p>A piece of chicken fell sloppily from Sam's mouth and he cringed slightly. "Sorry, baby."</p><p>"Mmm! Oh, this bird is fantastic." Dean said through a mouthful. "When you mix it up with the—the potatoes and the, the beans, you guys eat like this every day?"</p><p>"It's just chicken," Jody replied with a shrug.</p><p>"It's shaped like chicken! Not a patty, or a nugget!" Sam practically gushed.</p><p>"Can we get to the case?" Claire cut in impatiently.</p><p>There was a long pause as the three hunters looked at her, Sam and Dean ripping into their dinner rolls as they did so.</p><p>"Three people are missing," Claire stressed.</p><p>"There is no evidence that they didn't skip town on their own!" Jody huffed. "Two of them were runaways, one was a homeless guy."</p><p>"He was last seen at Braden Point. I've been stalking it out." Claire added.</p><p>"Right." Dean reached over Sam to help himself to another generous helping of mashed potatoes.</p><p>"Dude!" Sam complained.</p><p>"There's plenty left." Dean retorted. "Braden Point?"</p><p>"It's where the kids go to make out, and yes, there's about four pounds left on the stove," Jody replied.</p><p>"Guys? There's something out there." Claire chimed in. "People are reporting animals they've never seen before, things stalking their front yards that disappear…"</p><p>"This is according to the—<em>hey</em>!" Jody looked at Alex, who had tried to sneak her wine glass away. "Put it back!"</p><p>Alex huffed quietly and put the wine glass back.</p><p>"…Neighborhood crime blogs that Claire has been reading." Jody continued.</p><p>"Well, we've hunted on less," Sam admitted.</p><p>"What else have you found?" Angela asked Claire.</p><p>"Uh," she picked at her food. "I'm working on it."</p><p>"Claire did catch a werewolf," Alex started. "Oh, right! Turned out to be a German Shepherd with rabies."</p><p>"And before that was the vampire," Jody added. "Councilwoman into erotic cosplay. I didn't know what cosplay was before that. Super embarrassing for the whole force."</p><p>"Wow." Dean raised his brows. "You've been busy."</p><p>"I've been hunting." Claire corrected.</p><p>"AKA, menacing innocent people!" Jody exclaimed. "Claire has a whole string of assaults racked up. The only reason she's not sitting in jail right now is that I'm the sheriff!"</p><p>"Fine, I've been wrong," Claire admitted. "But this time, I know there's a monster."</p><p>"Can we stop talking about monsters, and hunting? What about real life?" Alex complained.</p><p>"Real life?" Claire smirked. "Okay. Yeah, sure. Let's get real. You and Henry set on a weekend yet?"</p><p>"What?" Alex asked in confusion.</p><p>"When you sneaking off to Jody's cabin to screw yourself silly?" Claire asked casually.</p><p>Alex's eyes immediately widened and she looked concerned.</p><p>"Oh… Here we go." Dean muttered.</p><p>The brothers sat there awkwardly while Jody and Angela just looked shocked.</p><p>"Um, we're not… You're completely insane!" Alex snapped at Claire.</p><p>"You might wanna clear you g-chats before you commit to that." Claire shrugged.</p><p>Sam was about ready to get up from the table. "This seems like uh, family business."</p><p>"Sam Winchester, you sit back down right now." Angela looked up at her husband. "Because you're gonna have to deal with stuff like this when Gracie is older."</p><p>Sam swallowed nervously and sat back down. "I sure hope not…"</p><p>"Um…" Jody cleared her throat. "Alex, anything you want to say?"</p><p>"Nope."</p><p>"'Kay, uh, well, um, I may have—I've… definitely seen birth control pills in your backpack," Jody admitted, earning a mortified look from Jody.</p><p>"Oh, we're going there." Sam's eyes widened.</p><p>"Okay," Dean mumbled.</p><p>"Oh my God." Alex groaned in embarrassment as Claire laughed.</p><p>"Hey, if we can't talk about it we shouldn't be doing it, right?" Jody asked. "Right?"</p><p>"Right." Angela nodded in agreement.</p><p>Jody and Angela looked at the brothers, who just looked awkward.</p><p>"What?" Dean asked as Sam just stuttered.</p><p>"Okay," Jody sighed. "I'm not gonna tell you that you are too young to be having sex, or you." She looked at Claire.</p><p>"Who's she gonna have sex with, she doesn't talk to anybody." Alex scoffed.</p><p>"Hey," Jody warned. "Um, what I will tell you is that birth control pills are useless against STD's. Whoever you are with needs to suit up! Every time. Always. No pulling up the drawbridge early."</p><p>"I know, I get it!" Alex exclaimed.</p><p>"And don't expect the guy, as much as I love Henry, to always show up packing." Jody continued before looking at Sam, Dean, and Angela. "Am I right?"</p><p>Sam looked down at his plate and took another large bite to avoid answering.</p><p>"What?" Dean stared blankly at Jody.</p><p>"You two are useless." Angela rolled her eyes. "It's true, I mean, sometimes Sam forgets—</p><p>"Angie!" Sam exclaimed, his face immediately heating up.</p><p>"What?" Angela shrugged. "I mean, that's how Grace was conceived."</p><p>"Stop!" Alex exclaimed. "We haven't done anything yet. I'm just… trying to be prepared."</p><p>Jody looked shocked and Angela's face heated up slightly, while Sam and Dean continued to look casual. Angela immediately downed her wine glass.</p><p>"Great, um, we need some more potatoes, right?" Jody changed the subject. "Mashed potatoes, I'm just gonna…" she drained her wine glass. "I'm gonna get some more potatoes. Potatoes."</p><p>Jody quickly stood up and walked to the kitchen to avoid the awkwardness.</p><p>"This is fun," Dean said as he took another bite, earning a snicker from Claire.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>After dinner, Dean helped Jody clear the table and wash dishes.</p><p>"Nice ambush in there," Dean commented.</p><p>"Hey, you guys crashed my pad first!" Jody defended.</p><p>"Well, you know, I thought we were going to be helping you with monsters, not birth control," Dean muttered.</p><p>"Welcome to my world." Jody snorted. "I mean—don't get me wrong, I love those girls, but… man, I am hanging on by my fingertips. The last guy Claire pegged as a monster, she held a sword to his throat. He is hell-bent on pressing charges."</p><p>"You know, I gotta be honest, I thought it was gonna be Alex with the adjustment issues," Dean admitted.</p><p>"Oh yeah, it was rough going there for a bit, too." Jody scoffed lightly. "But this year, everything clicked, she's dating the most popular guy in school for gosh sake."</p><p>"Yeah I know, I barely recognized her."</p><p>"And but even there, I feel like I should be teaching her about boyfriends, and relationships, you know, stuff a mom would teach her." Jody sighed heavily.</p><p>Dean chuckled. "Sammy and I could've benefited from a little of that."</p><p>Jody smiled knowingly. "Yeah, but I'm not Alex's mom. I'm not Claire's mom, I didn't raise them, I don't have that kind of history with them."</p><p>Dean nodded in understanding. "Well, we can talk to Claire. And we'll get her to settle down."</p><p>"It's not just Claire busting heads…"</p><p>"There's more?" Dean's brows shot up.</p><p>"Yeah… she started college, but she hasn't been to classes for weeks," Jody explained worriedly. "She doesn't have any friends. She spends all her time trolling for cases, and reading lore."</p><p>"Sounds kinda creepy when you put it like that," Dean muttered.</p><p>"You know I've got nothing against hunting. But if she's hiding in it, because she doesn't have anything else? I'm just…worried about her being so alone."</p><p>"Well, I'll put Sammy and Angie on it. They're better with the whole talky thing anyway." Dean assured.</p><p>"Thanks." Jody smiled gently.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Claire was stretched out on her bed with her laptop open and a few lore books beside her. She looked up when there was a knock at the door.</p><p>"Come in!" she called out.</p><p>Sam opened the door and Grace immediately ran over to the bed, attempting to climb up onto it. Claire smiled softly and held Grace up onto the bed.</p><p>"Hey, pipsqueak." Claire greeted the toddler.</p><p>"Claire," Sam spoke up.</p><p>"Hey." Claire looked up at Sam and Angela.</p><p>"You, uh… you got a minute?" Angela asked softly.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Looks like you and I have the same decorating philosophy," Sam noted, referring to the assortment of missing posters pinned to her wall. "Well, until Angie decorated our room."</p><p>"It's not like I need the Biebs on my wall." Claire snorted. "I was thinking tomorrow we could go to the families of the people who disappeared, and see if there's any connection between them."</p><p>"Right, um, about that," Sam started as he sat on the edge of the bed. "I know how it can be. The hunter life...consumes you. There is no nine to five, you start seeing monsters at every Quick-Mart in town…"</p><p>"So, you think I'm nuts?" Claire frowned deeply.</p><p>"No!" Angela assured, leaning on the wall across from the bed. "What Sam is saying is… We're not sure you have a case. And lately, it seems like you've spent a lot of time hunting monsters that weren't there."</p><p>"What is that supposed to mean?" Claire demanded.</p><p>"You wouldn't be the first hunter who is trying to escape something," Sam said gently.</p><p>"And what am I escaping, exactly, aside from mind-numbing boredom?"</p><p>"You tell us." Angela urged. "And how are things with Jody and Alex? And we're not, we're not taking sides, we're just trying to understand what's going on."</p><p>Claire hesitated for a moment. "They're not trying to make me feel bad. I mean—Alex is, she hates me, but, um… Sometimes I just feel like I'm a little late to the Jody and Alex show."</p><p>"Yeah." Sam murmured. "Well, they have been through some heavy crap together."</p><p>Claire nodded. "Maybe it's time I just head out on my own. And be a full-fledged hunter."</p><p>"Claire," Angela started. "Sam and I absolutely understand the need to hunt. Believe me. But the monsters are always going to be there. On and on. Forever. But a chance at a family? A home? School? That won't be."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>A fireman and coroner wheeled Mr. Phelps's body away as Jody stood nearby, talking to the three hunters, who were in their FBI apparel.</p><p>"Victim's name is Stephen Phelps, he was a math teacher," Jody explained. "Alex's favorite, actually."</p><p>"We're sorry to hear that." Angela apologized sincerely.</p><p>"Phelps was found hanging upside-down from the top of the flagpole, duct-taped. Like his neck had been snapped first."</p><p>"Any witnesses?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"Only the lucky custodian that found him," Jody muttered.</p><p>"So, how did the killer get Phelps up there in the first place? Unless he had his own firetruck?" Sam's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Yeah, so the killer climbs up 20 feet, a guy on his back, and duct-tapes him?" Dean added.</p><p>"Yeah, and why?" Angela muttered.</p><p>Jody pulled an evidence bag from her pocket. "We found this around the flagpole, if it means anything. I already sent a sample to the lab."</p><p>Angela took the evidence bag and looked at it closely. She just shook her head, not knowing what it was.</p><p>"What else you know about Phelps?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Just that he was a damn fine teacher. He really helped Alex out, I know that."</p><p>Claire walked up to them, Grace holding her hand. "I knew it. So, what are we dealing with? Demons, ghost possession?"</p><p>Grace just waved to the group of adults happily.</p><p>"Claire, this is a crime scene, you can't be here." Jody sighed, exasperated.</p><p>"Oh, but the fake FBI can?" Claire sassed.</p><p>"Hey!" Dean exclaimed, slightly insulted.</p><p>"Keep your voice down!" Jody hissed.</p><p>"Grace, why don't you come stay with your Mom and Dad?" Dean suggested.</p><p>"'Kay Unca Dean." Grace nodded as she walked toward her father, who picked her up.</p><p>Dean reached his arm out and steered Claire away so that they could talk privately. "Come here. Come here."</p><p>"I was trying to work the case," Claire started. "The case everyone said wasn't real."</p><p>"And you know what, you were right," Dean replied. "Okay? There is something unnatural going on here. But you can't just walk up in front of a bunch of officers, and demand that the sheriff give you details on a murder investigation!"</p><p>"Can we talk about the body now?" Claire asked, annoyed.</p><p>"Oh, I'm not near finished," Dean started sternly, earning an eye roll from Claire. "You need to show Jody a little respect. She did you a huge solid by taking you in. She got you set up at school—</p><p>"I don't wanna go to school," Claire grumbled.</p><p>Dean rolled his eyes. "Nobody wants to go to school, Claire, it's school!"</p><p>"Exactly!"</p><p>"My point is—she's been busting her ass to get you set up with a life. She's feeding you, hell you got a nicer room than I do now." Dean lectured. "She kept you out of jail…"</p><p>"I never asked her to." Claire retorted.</p><p>"And that's what I'm talking about. You need to act like you give a crap! You need to appreciate what that woman's done—</p><p>"They canceled school." Alex interrupted as she and Henry approached. "So, we're gonna… hang out, I guess."</p><p>"Hang out, huh?" Dean narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Hmm."</p><p>"…Yeah. Okay then." Alex replied awkwardly before they walked away.</p><p>"Oh yeah. He got the message." Claire said sarcastically.</p><p>"Damn right he did." Dean nodded.</p><p>"I'm sure." Claire scoffed before walking away.</p><p>"Quit walkin' away from me!" Dean grumbled in annoyance.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Jody, Sam, and Angela were questioning the principal in one of the empty hallways. Grace held Sam's hand and sucked her thumb.</p><p>"Was there anyone that Mr. Phelps had run-ins with recently? Staff, parents, students?" Jody asked curiously.</p><p>"No, not that I know of." The principal answered. "Parents would bake brownies for that man."</p><p>"Well, we're gonna wanna, um, interview your staff and students, as well as have access to personnel records," Sam informed.</p><p>"Whatever you need." The principal assured. "We gotta catch that bastard. Turns his insides out and string him up."</p><p>Sam, Jody, and Angela each reacted slightly to the over-the-top strangeness of the principal's statement.</p><p>"Glad you're on our side," Angela muttered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean was roaming the empty hallways and classrooms with his EMF meter. He looked around, noticing a group of teachers gossiping in one of the classrooms.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Angela, and Jody were now in the basement, interviewing the custodian. Angela currently held Grace on her hip.</p><p>"Well, I raise the flag in the morning," the custodian started. "And, uh, he's… he's s-stuck up there, you know, like a bug on a stick. I thought it was a prank at first, but uh… you know, like it was a dummy or something like that but…" he chuckled. "It wasn't."</p><p>"Did you know Mr. Phelps?" Jody questioned.</p><p>The custodian shrugged. "Seen him around."</p><p>"Have you noticed anything weird?" Angela asked. "Or out of ordinary going on at the school lately?"</p><p>"Do you mean weirder than a dead teacher taped to the top of a flagpole, or…?"</p><p>"Before you discovered Mr. Phelps, had you noticed any unusual… sights, or sounds, or smells…" Sam pressed.</p><p>"Smells!" the custodian laughed. "Well, you know, this place always kinda stinks. Kids are slobs, you know? But I do the best that I can. But uh…"</p><p>"Mr. Wheeler, you don't seem to upset about the uh… graphic scene you came upon this morning," Jody noted.</p><p>"Well, what can I tell ya? I didn't know the guy." He shrugged.</p><p>"And where were you last night?" Angela questioned. "And earlier this morning before you found the body?"</p><p>Mr. Wheeler paused for a moment. "This is confidential, right?"</p><p>Sam nodded.</p><p>"I was passed out at the Blind Donkey."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Angela were each holding one of Grace's hands as they walked down the hallway when Dean caught up with them.</p><p>"Hey!" Dean greeted. "This place is bigger than it looks. Checked every classroom, every office, every hallway, and every bathroom. And I deserve hazard pay for that."</p><p>"And?" Angela quirked a brow.</p><p>"Nothing." Dean huffed. "No EMF, no hex bags, no sulfur, the only thing I found was a couple of teachers making out in the breakroom."</p><p>"Well, you got more than we did," Sam sighed. "Not one witness. Oh, the custodian, there's definitely something up with him."</p><p>"He's squirrelly," Angela added.</p><p>"Well, teacher of the year gets run up a flagpole, and nobody knows squat?" Dean scoffed lightly. "Something's going on here."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Claire, Sam, and Angela were sitting at the table, going over research about the case while Grace was napping.</p><p>"Hey!" Jody greeted as she walked in with Dean.</p><p>"Yo!" Sam replied.</p><p>"Got the results back on that fiber from the crime scene," Dean commented.</p><p>"And?" Angela asked.</p><p>"Asbestos."</p><p>"Asbestos?" Sam repeated, confused.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"So, our killer's fire retardant. What does that mean?" Claire asked.</p><p>"Well, not much yet." Dean sighed.</p><p>"And, Wheeler the janitor? His alibi checks out." Jody added.</p><p>"Well, his social security number doesn't," Angela replied. "It belongs to Mimi Garcia, who died in 1988."</p><p>"And Wheeler started at Marshall a few months ago. When the disappearances started." Claire recalled. "The ones I said were supernatural in the first place?"</p><p>"Yes, we know, you keep reminding us." Jody glanced over at Claire.</p><p>"So… We need to talk to this Mr. Wheeler again." Sam said as he closed his laptop and stood up.</p><p>"Okay, I'm gonna run his ID photo through the database," Jody replied.</p><p>Claire practically jumped from her seat. "I'm coming with you. I have a Fed suit, I can be your new agent trainee."</p><p>"Okay, hold on there, Quantico!" Jody stopped her. "You and I are leaving in a half an hour, the registrar, remember?"</p><p>"Reschedule it," Claire argued.</p><p>"Again? Uhn-uhn." Jody shook her head. "You are going to beg him to let you re-enroll. Tonight."</p><p>"When there's a killer out there?!"</p><p>"Hey." Dean gave Claire a knowing look.</p><p>Claire looked frustrated but decided to not argue any further before storming off.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela were walking away from the house, toward the Impala. Angela carried Grace, who was fast asleep.</p><p>"…And a fake address. Well, I am loving this guy." Dean scoffed before his phone started ringing. "Hey, what's up?" he answered.</p><p><em>"Dean!"</em> Jody's pained voice rang through. <em>"You need—</em></p><p>"Jody?" Dean frowned in concern as he heard screaming. "Jody!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Don't You Forget About Me Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam, Dean, and Angela pulled up to Jody's house in the Impala. The garage door was still open, and Jody's truck was still there, however, Claire and Jody weren't there.</p><p>"Jody? Claire?" Dean yelled as he ran to the garage.</p><p>"We'll check the house," Sam replied.</p><p>Angela held Grace protectively and followed Sam into the house. Dean found Claire's knife on the ground, along with Jody's abandoned cell phone.</p><p>"Dammit!"</p><p>"Nothing," Angela said as she and Sam returned. "No one."</p><p>Dean showed Sam and Angela the knife.</p><p>Sam's brows furrowed. "It's Claire's knife."</p><p>"Yeah." Dean nodded.</p><p>"So, whatever it was, it was lying in wait for them when they left." Angela theorized.</p><p>Suddenly, Jody's phone started ringing and he immediately answered.</p><p>"This is Agent Noon," he greeted. "No, I have not seen the sheriff either. I'd be happy to pass on the information. I'm just here with my partners, what do you got?" he paused before looking at Sam and Angela. "They identified the custodian."</p><p>"Good." The couple replied simultaneously.</p><p>"Richard Beesome? A trucker out of O'Neill, Nebraska, he's been missing for three years." Dean noted. "Thank you." He told the person on the other line before hanging up. "His family was found exsanguinated. Throats ripped out."</p><p>"He's a vampire?" Sam raised his brows.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>Angela paused in thought. "O'Neill, isn't that where Alex was from? Where her nest was?"</p><p>"So, what, Beesome was part of Alex's old nest? Came here looking for Alex and then found Jody and Claire instead?" Dean suggested.</p><p>"I don't know… something still doesn't sit right," Sam muttered.</p><p>"We gotta warn Alex," Angela stressed.</p><p>"Yeah, alright, you and Dean pick her up," Sam instructed. "I'll go check Beesome's office, there's bound to be something there."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela called Alex as Dean drove, Grace in her car seat.</p><p>"Hey, where are you, Dean and I are coming to get you."</p><p><em>"I'm at 50s, on Lake."</em> Alex's confused voice rang through.</p><p>"Okay, sit tight until we get there, do not go off by yourself," Angela said firmly.</p><p><em>"What's going on?"</em> Alex asked worriedly.</p><p>"Alex, the custodian at your school, he's a vamp," Angela informed.</p><p>
  <em>"Oh my god. No."</em>
</p><p>"Listen to me, we'll be there in five minutes, don't move. You understand?" Angela explained.</p><p><em>"Yeah,"</em> Alex replied before hanging up.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam wandered around the custodian's office with a flashlight, looking for anything that might help. He managed to find an old map of the school grounds and took a look at it.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Angela pulled up in the Impala, only to see that Henry's Jeep was no longer there. Dean got out of the car and called Alex, only to hear her phone ringing nearby. He found it on the ground next to the dumpster and picked it up.</p><p>"Oh, come on!"</p><p>Dean sighed heavily and called Sam.</p><p><em>"Hey,"</em> Sam's voice rang through.</p><p>"Alex is gone," Dean replied.</p><p><em>"Dean, listen,"</em> Sam started urgently. <em>"I just found an old school map, uh, there's a building, it used to be the pool. They closed it down because it had asbestos. That has to be where Beesome took them."</em></p><p>"Angie and I are 15 minutes away."</p><p><em>"Alright, it's at the East end of the school, I'm heading there now,"</em> Sam replied.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam heard Claire scream nearby and made his way up the stairs as quickly as he could, machete in hand. Once Sam found them, Claire was lying on the ground, neck covered in blood, apparently unconscious.</p><p>"Sam!" Alex cried out.</p><p>Sam turned just as Beesome whacked him hard with a sledgehammer. Sam fell to the ground and the machete fell from his grasp. Beesome went to hit him again, but Sam rolled out of the way and he missed. Sam grabbed his machete again and stood up.</p><p>"No!" Jody cried out.</p><p>Henry hit Sam from behind with a weapon and Sam fell into the empty pool, just as Dean entered the building, unbeknownst to the others. Claire regained consciousness as Henry jumped into the empty pool beside Sam and continued to hit him.</p><p>"Claire!" Jody whispered.</p><p>Claire looked at Jody, who nodded toward a forgotten weapon on the ground. Beesome approached Alex with Sam's machete. Meanwhile, Sam managed to get up, holding his own against Henry.</p><p>"No one's gonna save you," Beesome smirked at Alex.</p><p>He swung the machete and Alex closed her eyes, just as Claire stabbed him from behind with a crowbar. Stunned, but not dead, Beesome turned around to face Claire. As he looked at her, Dean chopped his head off with his machete. Dean looked at Claire and saw that she was covered in blood.</p><p>"Did you drink their blood?" he demanded.</p><p>"No!"</p><p>Dean nodded and quickly cut Alex free.</p><p>"Ow, Dean!" Jody cried out.</p><p>Alex, Dean, and Claire rushed over to Jody in concern.</p><p>"Jody?" Dean helped her up, supporting her.</p><p>"Oh, it had to be the leg." Jody groaned. "I'm gonna need bionics."</p><p>"Come here." Dean lifted her up to carry her.</p><p>Sam carried Henry out of the pool and over to the others.</p><p>"Where are Angie and Grace?" Sam asked worriedly.</p><p>"Don't worry, I had Angie stay with Grace in the car," Dean assured.</p><p>Sam nodded and let Henry go in front of Alex. "He's all yours now."</p><p>Alex just looked at Henry, a mixture of hurt and anger on her face.</p><p>"I shoulda tapped that when I had the chance." Henry looked her over.</p><p>"Keep dreaming about me." Alex retorted before punching Henry in the jaw.</p><p>Claire sliced Henry's head off with a machete and his body fell to the ground. Claire looked at Alex, who just nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Claire walked out of Jody's house.</p><p>"You don't have to worry," Claire started. "I know what I have. You shoulda seen Jody take out that vamp, she would have taken a bullet for me."</p><p>"Does that mean you're gonna make her life less hellish?"</p><p>Claire smiled a little. "I solemnly swear not to hunt like a dumbass. Jody said that she's gonna teach me to vet leads, and teach me how to investigate…" she trailed off. "She thinks I'm gonna get myself killed."</p><p>Jody, Sam, Angela, and Grace exited the house. Jody was on her crutches and Sam's arms were filled with containers of food. Grace held onto Angela's hand as they walked.</p><p>"You alright?" Sam's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Yeah, thanks!" Jody replied.</p><p>"Dude!" Sam called out to Dean. "Got ribs! And, uh, two tubs of sauce, 'cause you're not touching mine."</p><p>"Yes!" Dean exclaimed.</p><p>"Made it for dinner last night, didn't get to eat it, what with the multiple kidnappings and all," Jody explained.</p><p>"Yeah…" Dean trailed off.</p><p>"Thank you, Jody." Angela smiled. "Grace, why don't you say goodbye?"</p><p>"Bye-bye Auntie Jody" Grace waved with her free hand.</p><p>"See you soon, sweetie." Jody smiled at the toddler.</p><p>Angela looked over to the Impala and saw Alex standing by herself.</p><p>"Sam," she nudged her husband.</p><p>Sam followed her line of sighed and cleared his throat. "Excuse us."</p><p>Sam, Angela, and Grace walked over to Alex, and Claire followed behind them.</p><p>"Hey," Angela greeted gently. "You gonna be okay?"</p><p>"Yeah." Alex nodded. "School on Monday."</p><p>"You're just gonna go take a bio quiz and pretend like you didn't almost get slaughtered?" Claire raised her brows.</p><p>"You're not giving up hunting, are you?"</p><p>"Hell no," Claire replied, causing Alex to smile.</p><p>"Alex," Sam started seriously. "Other vamps may come for you."</p><p>"I know." She nodded. "And I'll be ready. And when I get my life together, I might be moving on."</p><p>"Alex, you don't have to leave to protect us," Claire replied seriously.</p><p>"That's not why. I can't be around what you all are doing. The things you're fighting."</p><p>Meanwhile, Dean and Jody were making their way to the Impala.</p><p>"You gonna be alright now that you're outnumbered again?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Ah, as long as everyone wears a condom, we'll be fine," Jody assured.</p><p>Dean chuckled at that. "I want that bumper sticker."</p><p>Angela was buckling Grace into her car seat when Dean and Jody approached. The three hunters got into the Impala and drove off, leaving Jody, Claire, and Alex standing on their front lawn.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Love Hurts Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas—The Day After Valentine's Day</em>
</p><p>Sam and Angela were sitting at the kitchen table. Sam was looking at something on his laptop while Angela fed Grace breakfast. Sam looked up when he saw his brother stumble into the room.</p><p>"Morning," Sam greeted.</p><p>Dean just grunted in response and opened the fridge and pulled out some Chinese leftovers, shoveling a bite into his mouth.</p><p>"Is that a hickey?" Angela eyed his neck.</p><p>Dean gagged and spit out the obviously spoiled food. "And? It was Valentine's Day. I can't help it if I'm a hopeless romantic."</p><p>Sam snorted as Dean walked over to the coffee machine. "You got half of that right."</p><p>"Just doing my civic duty," Dean poured himself a cup of coffee. "Helping all the single ladies. You know the best thing about February 14th? You don't have to be Mr. Right. Just Mr. Right Now."</p><p>"That's classy," Angela remarked sarcastically as Dean sat down next to her.</p><p>"Yeah, and what'd you and Sammy do, judgy?" Dean scoffed. "Curl up in your snuggie, watch 50 Shades on cable?"</p><p>"No, actually, Sammy cooked me dinner." Angela beamed. "And it was really sweet. Anyway, baby, tell him what you found."</p><p>"Okay, Stacy Altman, a 19-year-old babysitter from Hudson, Ohio was murdered last night," Sam explained.</p><p>"Oh, that blows." Dean sipped his coffee. "How is that us?"</p><p>"Because her heart was ripped out," Sam answered.</p><p>"On Valentine's Day?" Dean raised his brows. "What is that, like an ironic werewolf? Alright, we'll check it out. But first I need bacon."</p><p>"No, first you need a shower." Angela wrinkled her nose in disgust.</p><p>"Is it…?" Dean frowned, sniffing his armpit. "You're not wrong."</p><p>"Yeah," Angela replied.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Hudson, Ohio</em>
</p><p>Dean and Angela were in the Harpers' home, questioning Melissa and Dan while Sam stayed back at the motel with Grace.</p><p>"It's like we told the cops," Dan started. "Stacy came over about 6 o'clock. We went to dinner and by the time we got home…"</p><p>"We found Stacy in the living room, in a pool of blood; Tegan in her crib, hysterical," Melissa recalled. "It was awful."</p><p>"Can you think of any reason someone would want to hurt Stacy?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"No." Melissa shook her head. "Stacy was super sweet and popular and pretty."</p><p>"Anyone who met her fell in love with her," Dan added.</p><p>"Maybe it was a crime of passion," Dean suggested. "Stacy have any crazy ex-boyfriends?"</p><p>"Not that I know of… Honey?" Melissa looked at Dan.</p><p>"Why would I have any idea?" he scoffed.</p><p>"Was anything stolen?" Angela asked curiously. "Any chance this may have been a robbery gone wrong?"</p><p>"I don't think so. I mean, nothing was missing." Melissa replied. "Except for the nanny cam in the living room."</p><p>"Thanks for your time." Angela nodded as she and Dean started to walk out. "Give us a call if something comes up."</p><p>"Okay, thank you." Melissa nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Angela stood on the front steps outside the home.</p><p>"Is it just me, or is that guy acting a bit hinky?" Angela muttered.</p><p>"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Dean replied.</p><p>"Let's split up," Angela suggested. "You can drop me off at the morgue and hit Dan at the office. I'll update Sam."</p><p>"Yeah, maybe he'll be a little more open without his wifey around."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>In the morgue, Angela and the medical examiner were taking a look at Stacy's body.</p><p>"Based on the autopsy, the vic was conscious when her heart was ripped out. Wouldn't want a front-row seat to that show."</p><p>"Any ideas what could have done this?" Angela asked.</p><p>"Typically, I'd assume animal attack." The medical examiner answered.</p><p>Angela's brows furrowed. "In the house?"</p><p>"Exactly. Plus, no claw marks." The medical examiner added. "I'll be honest with you, Agent. Been doing this for some 20-odd years and I'm stumped."</p><p>"Alright," Angela pulled out her phone, taking a picture of the wound to send to Sam. "Thanks."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean walked into Dan's office and the secretary walked out.</p><p>"Please, have a seat Agent," Dan told Dean. "What can I help you with?"</p><p>"I need you to be straight with me Dan," Dean replied as he sat down across from the desk.</p><p>Dan's brows furrowed. "I'm not sure what you mean, Agent."</p><p>"I think you do. I think you're hiding something. And you didn't want to talk about it in front of your wife…" Dean trailed off. "You're schtupping the babysitter."</p><p>Dan laughed nervously. "Excuse me?"</p><p>"Oh, don't act all fake offended. I'm actually trying to help you out here." Dean replied. "Now, personally, I don't give a rat's ass who you screw, but I would hate for you… uh… extra-curricular activities to get you involved in a federal murder investigation. Or I could just go talk to your wife."</p><p>"I wanna be straight with you Agent, I really do. But I can't." Dan shook his head.</p><p>"Sure you can."</p><p>"No. Really," Dan stressed. "I mean, this is just too damn weird. You'd never believe me."</p><p>"Try me."</p><p>Dan opened a drawer and pulled out a teddy bear.</p><p>"Let me guess," Dean started. "The missing nanny cam."</p><p>"I was having an affair with Stacy," Dan admitted. "I only took the nanny cam because she kissed me in front of it. I forgot the damn thing was there." He opened the bear and pulled out an SD card. "I was gonna erase it as soon as we got home. But then we found Stacy's body. Melissa ran upstairs for the baby and I…"</p><p>"Ran for the cam." Dean finished.</p><p>"I know it was a dick move." Dan sighed heavily. "But I also know the cam must have recorded the murder. As soon as I erased the kiss I was gonna turn it over to the cops. I swear. Until I saw what was on it." Dan turned his screen and showed a video of him ripping out Stacy's heart. "I know that's me, but I swear it wasn't me. I would never hurt Stacy. I loved her. I was at dinner the entire time. If you don't believe me, ask Melissa, or the waiter, or any of the 75 other people that were there. You gotta believe me."</p><p>"Relax. I do." Dean replied.</p><p>Dan's eyes widened. "You do?"</p><p>Dean took the SD out of the computer and put it in his jacket. "I need you to sit tight. Keep a lid on this for the time being, okay?" he replied before leaving.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam was sitting on the motel couch with his laptop in his lab while Grace slept. Dean and Angela walked into the room.</p><p>"Yo," Sam greeted.</p><p>"Did you get my text, baby?" Angela asked as she sat next to her husband.</p><p>"Yeah. And absolutely nothing points to a werewolf." Sam replied.</p><p>"Well, step aside, Urkel." Dean pulled the SD card out and put it in Sam's laptop. "It was Dan that stole the nanny cam."</p><p>"Why?" Sam frowned.</p><p>Dean just gave Sam and Angela a pointed look.</p><p>"He was schtupping the babysitter." Sam realized before playing the video.</p><p>"Wait a second," Angela frowned deeply. "I thought Dan was at dinner with Melissa."</p><p>"That's not Dan." Dean grabbed a beer from the fridge.</p><p>Sam paused the video and sighed when he noticed 'Dan's' glowing eyes. "Shapeshifter."</p><p>"Yahtzee." Dean sipped his drink.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Dean were at the second crime scene while Angela was back at the motel with Grace.</p><p>"You were the last person to see your boss alive," Dean told Gladys. "Did you see anything unusual?"</p><p>"Nothing unusual per se. Just kind of rude." She shrugged. "This young girl, brunette, couldn't have been more than 19, barreled out of the elevator as I was leaving. Nearly knocked me over."</p><p>"Is this her?" Sam showed her a photo of Stacy.</p><p>"Yeah." Gladys nodded. "That's her."</p><p>"Thank you for your time, ma'am," Dean said before he and Sam walked out of the room.</p><p>"Well, confirms we're dealing with a shifter," Sam whispered.</p><p>"Yeah." Dean agreed. "Who's upping its game by impersonating dead people. I'm guessing it's the wife."</p><p>"Okay, I'll text Angie, let her know that we're gonna question Melissa."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Sam were at the Harper residence, talking to a visibly shaken Melissa.</p><p>"I'm so sorry for your loss." Dean apologized sincerely.</p><p>"I just can't… I can't even believe it." She sobbed. "How is this even possible?"</p><p>"That's what we're trying to figure out," Sam replied gently.</p><p>"Where's the baby?" Dean asked.</p><p>"She's… she's with my mom." Melissa sniffled.</p><p>"I… uh… I hate to have to ask this," Sam started. "But I need to ask you a difficult question."</p><p>"Okay…"</p><p>"Were you aware that your husband was having an affair with the babysitter?" Sam asked delicately.</p><p>"Yes. I knew." Melissa admitted. "I know what you're thinking, jealous wife kills her cheating husband, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I loved Dan. Still do. It may sound pathetic, but I thought we still had a chance."</p><p>"Well, thank you for your time," Sam replied sincerely. "We'll leave you alone. Let you get some rest."</p><p>"But before you go," Dean cut in. "Would you mind writing down a phone number where we can get ahold of you in case, we have any more questions?"</p><p>"Sure." Melissa nodded.</p><p>Dean slid a silver pen and a business card across the table and Melissa picked up the pen to write something down.</p><p>"And if anything, strange or out of the ordinary comes up, don't hesitate to call." Sam urged. "We're staying at the motel on Main Street."</p><p>"Thanks." Dean nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Dean walked out of the house, slightly frustrated.</p><p>"Alright, so, Melissa's not the shifter," Dean noted.</p><p>"And we are back to square zilch."</p><p>"I need a beer, regroup, maybe get lucky," Dean smirked.</p><p>"Didn't you just get lucky?" Sam scoffed.</p><p>"That was in Kansas." Dean reminded.</p><p>"Whatever," Sam rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna go hit the lore, see what Angie's up to, but you go be you."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Angela sat at the kitchenette table while Grace slept in her playpen.</p><p>"Hey," Dean greeted as he walked in. "Any luck?"</p><p>"No. You?" Sam raised his brows.</p><p>"Nah. Hey, what's a… uh… dad bod?" Dean asked, causing Angela to burst out laughing. "What? Angie, what's a dad bod?"</p><p>"Oh, Dean, you're just gonna have to find that out for yourself." Angela laughed.</p><p>Suddenly, someone was frantically knocking on the door. Dean frowned and opened it to reveal Melissa.</p><p>"Hey there…" he greeted as she scrambled in and locked the door. "Everything okay?"</p><p>"Dan tried to kill me!" Melissa cried.</p><p>"Dan, your dead husband, Dan?" Dean's brows shot up.</p><p>"You told me to come to you if anything strange or out of the ordinary happened? Well, it did. And I think it's all my fault." Melissa admitted frantically.</p><p>"Okay, why don't you come sit down. C'mon." Dean instructed.</p><p>"I swear," she started as she sat down. "I really did love Dan. Maybe a little too much. I just… I wanted him to love me back. So, I got some advice and I confided in my hairdresser about the affair."</p><p>"Wait, women actually do that?" Dean scoffed, earning a smack on the arm from Angela.</p><p>"And she told me there was a way to. Get him back. I knew she… uh… dabbled in stuff." Melissa explained.</p><p>"Wait a second," Angela frowned. "What kind of stuff are you talking about here?"</p><p>"She calls herself a, uh… white witch," Melissa replied. "Listen, I don't know if you believe in that sort of thing. I usually don't, but I was desperate."</p><p>"And let me guess," Dean sighed heavily. "She gave you a spell."</p><p>"Yes." Melissa nodded. "A return-to-love spell. All I had to do was chant it and seal it with a kiss. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, I swear! I just wanted my husband back."</p><p>"Do you happen to have a copy of the spell on you?" Sam asked.</p><p>"Oh, yes, yes." Melissa handed a slip of paper to Sam.</p><p>He opened his laptop and typed something in. "Wow. Okay, for starters, not a spell. More like an Aramaic curse."</p><p>"What?" Melissa's eyes widened.</p><p>"This roughly translates to the kiss of death," Sam explained.</p><p>"I swear, she never told me that," Melissa stressed.</p><p>"What does the lore say?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"There is no lore." Sam shrugged. "My best guess is that this is the white witch's home cooking."</p><p>"Terrific," Dean remarked sarcastically. "Alright, so, what do we know? Um, you kiss someone then they die."</p><p>"I guess." Angela shrugged. "Wait a second, Melissa… You didn't kiss Stacy."</p><p>"No, of course not." She replied.</p><p>"No, but Dan did." Dean reminded.</p><p>Angela's brows shot up. "So, the curse is transmittable?"</p><p>"Like a magic STD. Okay, that works." Dean shrugged. "Kinda makes you nostalgic for good old-fashioned herpes."</p><p>"Oh, God," Melissa gasped. "I killed Dan and Stacy."</p><p>"You didn't kill anyone," Sam replied firmly. "This is all on that witch."</p><p>"Riddle me this," Dean frowned. "Why did Stacy die first if she was kissed second?"</p><p>"I don't know." Angela shrugged. "Maybe you're safe if you can pass the curse on?"</p><p>"And then if that person dies then it comes back to you?" Dean theorized.</p><p>"I mean that would make sense." Sam nodded. "It would explain why, whatever this is, is working its way back to Melissa."</p><p>"I'm sorry," she cut in. "I'm confused."</p><p>"Yeah, 'cause it's freaking confusing." Dean scoffed. "Look, long story short, it's like a game of hot potato. You gotta keep paying it forward. You don't, you die."</p><p>"Melissa," Angela pursed her lips. "This curse, it started with you. And I think it wants to end with you."</p><p>"But don't worry," Dean added. "Okay? We're not gonna let that happen."</p><p>Suddenly, Dan broke through the window and Angela immediately grabbed Grace from the playpen. Dan threw Sam aside easily and Dean started shooting at Dan, to no avail. Suddenly, Angela had an idea and handed Grace to Dean. Angela took a deep breath and kissed Melissa, shocking the already startled woman. Sam knocked Dan down with a chair and looked at Angela.</p><p>"What the hell did you do?!" he demanded.</p><p>"Come on," Angela took Grace from Dean. "Let's just go."</p><p>They all ran out to the Impala and Angela quickly buckled Grace in. They all managed to pile into the car and the Impala sped away from the motel.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Love Hurts Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean pulled over on the side of the road and stopped the car.</p><p>"I'd say that went pretty well," Angela started. "What do you guys think?"</p><p>Sam's eyes widened as they got out of the car. "Wait, are you serious, Angie? You think it's a great idea to give yourself a fatal curse?"</p><p>"Well, the target's off her back, isn't it?" Angela shrugged.</p><p>"I'm just saying," Sam sighed. "You don't have to do this—be the guinea pig."</p><p>Angela looked at her husband, confused. "What?"</p><p>"Be the martyr, try to carry the weight by yourself, do this." Sam sighed heavily.</p><p>"I'm gonna be fine, okay?" Angela assured. "And as long as I'm good, she's good, and that's the important thing. Besides, it proved our theory, didn't it? That this whole kiss of death thing is transmittable. I mean, I'm not asking for the Nobel here, but thank you."</p><p>"How long do you think we have?" Dean asked.</p><p>"I don't know," Angela admitted. "I mean, it's not like this thing is exactly following a pattern. I don't even know what I'm looking for here. We cut out of there pretty quick, though, so maybe we have a little bit of time."</p><p>"What was that?" Melissa demanded as she got out of the car.</p><p>"We think it was something called a shapeshifter, but it can't be because I pumped the thing full of silver and it didn't even flinch," Dean explained.</p><p>Melissa eyed the open trunk, noticing the various weapons. "What kind of FBI agents are you?"</p><p>"The fake kind," Dean answered as he closed the trunk.</p><p>"We're hunters," Sam added.</p><p>"Hunters?"</p><p>"Look, all you need to know is we save people like you from things like that," Dean replied.</p><p>"Even if it's not a shapeshifter, it's still shifting shapes," Angela added. "If we can find out what it is, we can find out how to kill it."</p><p>"Alright," Dean started. "What do you know about the white witch?"</p><p>"Not much." Melissa shook her head. "Her name is Sonja, she's kind of weird… I don't know. She's only been my hairdresser for a couple of months."</p><p>"Do you know where she lives?"</p><p>"Not a clue," Melissa answered.</p><p>"Where did she give you the spell?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>"In the basement of her salon," Melissa recalled.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The Impala pulled up to the salon and Dean threw it in park.</p><p>"The art of dyeing," he read the sign aloud. "Well, can't say she didn't warn ya."</p><p>"Dean." Angela shot him a look.</p><p>"Alright, I'll stay here, keep an eye on Grace and Melissa," Dean said.</p><p>"Oh, here, you might need this," Sam handed a knife to Melissa.</p><p>"It won't kill her, but it'll slow her down," Angela added.</p><p>"Are you serious?!" Melissa cried. "I can't stab anyone!"</p><p>"Listen to me," Dean started firmly. "Sonja's not just anyone. She's a wicked witch who offed your husband and tried to kill you."</p><p>"Okay," Angela took a deep breath. "Let's go."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Angela walked into the salon with their flashlights on. Sam cocked his gun and waved it lightly.</p><p>"Witch-killing bullets."</p><p>"We gotta come up with a better name than that," Angela muttered.</p><p>The two of them split up to look around the room and Angela stopped in front of a door that said, 'EMPLOYEES ONLY.' She opened the door slowly, clutching her gun tightly.</p><p>"Sam!" she hissed to get his attention.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Angela walked down into the basement with their flashlights on. They walked over to a nearby desk and Sam tried to open the cabinet.</p><p>"Locked cabinet," he muttered as he started to pry it off. "Lookie here. Alright," he pulled out a book and set it on the desk. "Got it. It looks like we're dealing with a Qareen."</p><p>"I've never heard of it."</p><p>"It's a creature, corporeal in form. A slave to your commands." Sam explained.</p><p>"Kinda like a genie." Angela nodded.</p><p>"I guess," Sam muttered. "Here we go. Someone chants a curse, lays a wet one on you, then the victim is seduced and killed by the Qareen, but instead of taking the form of Barbara Eden, they present themselves as your deepest, darkest desire."</p><p>"Makes sense why the sitter was killed by the husband. The husband killed by the sitter." Angela reasoned.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam agreed. "And why Melissa was attacked by Dan. She really loved him."</p><p>Angela let out a laugh and Sam looked at her, brows furrowed in confusion.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"You know the silver lining about being cursed?" Angela mused. "I'll finally get some face time with Zack Morris. My deepest, darkest desire."</p><p>"Seriously?" Sam scoffed, unamused.</p><p>"Sammy, I love you, but Zack Morris… Mmm." Angela smirked.</p><p>"Okay, yeah, I get it." Sam chuckled lightly.</p><p>"Alright, how do we kill this thing?" Angela asked curiously.</p><p>"By stabbing it in its heart."</p><p>Angela peered at the picture in the book. "Well, given that it has a giant hole in its chest, does it even have a heart?"</p><p>"Apparently not in him. The person who holds the Qareen's heart is the one who commands it." Sam noted.</p><p>"So, Sonja the hairdresser."</p><p>"Alright," Sam sighed heavily. "Let's find us a heart. I'll take upstairs."</p><p>"Okay, love you," Angela told her husband.</p><p>"Love you too, baby," Sam replied.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>As Sam was searching upstairs, he found a locked box and pried it open, only to find a blackened heart. Suddenly, Sonja appeared behind him and used a spell to pin Sam to a nearby chair.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>As Angela searched the basement, she heard footsteps behind her and assumed it was Sam.</p><p>"Find anything, babe?" Angela asked as she finally turned around, only to see Amara.</p><p>"I understand, Angela." Amara smiled softly.</p><p>"Is that right?"</p><p>"The longing in your heart…I feel it too," Amara whispered.</p><p>Angela started inching toward a nearby knife discreetly. "Well, that's touching. Considering that you don't have a heart… Qareen."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sonja snatched the box from Sam and closed it. "I'm guessing you're not really FBI. What? A hunter?"</p><p>"And you're a witch," Sam replied as Sonja circled him. "Hocking death curses as love spells."</p><p>"Someone has to punish these men." She shrugged nonchalantly. "But you know the only thing worse than a cheating man, is one who gets away with it."</p><p>"Wow," Sam scoffed. "You're practically a feminist."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Who I am doesn't matter," the Qareen followed Angela's movements. "The real question is, who are you?"</p><p>"What do you mean, who am I?" Angela frowned.</p><p>"You're a mystery. I can see inside your heart, feel the love you feel. Except it's cloaked in shame… When it comes to this, you can't help yourself. So, why fight it? Just give in."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Why Melissa?" Sam demanded. "She only wanted to save her marriage."</p><p>"They all do." Sonja rolled her eyes. "Hundreds of heartbroken women come to me, but they never learn. I mean, a month, a year, however long later, they all come back. Same story, different man."</p><p>"So, you tweaked the curse." Sam realized.</p><p>"Now, it not only punishes the cheaters, but the foolish women who want them back," Sonja explained. "Guess I'm just weeding out the idiots. And you're next."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Yeah," Angela nodded. "You're right. The <em>real</em> Amara does have a hold on me, but you? You're nothing but a cheap imitation."</p><p>Angela grabbed a nearby picture frame and attempted to attack the Qareen with it, but the Qareen just attacked Angela right back.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sonja started to chant the spell and Sam gasped in pain. Suddenly, Melissa ran in brandishing the knife.</p><p>"Sonja stop!" Melissa cried. "Please. Enough is enough."</p><p>Sam shot Sonja multiple times and ran over to stab the blackened heart. A few moments later, Dean ran in, holding Grace in his arms.</p><p>"Don't… don't do crap like that," Dean told Melissa, breathing heavily.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela evaded the Qareen's attack, and just before the Qareen could rip out her heart, it screamed loudly and disappeared in a blue light.</p><p>"Angie!" Sam called as he and Dean ran downstairs.</p><p>"Yeah!" she called back.</p><p>"So, I got it," Sam replied.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"It's done." He assured.</p><p>"You good?" she looked between the brothers. "Is Gracie okay?"</p><p>"Yeah, everything's fine, kid." Dean nodded. "You good?"</p><p>"Mhmm. Yeah." Angela hummed before walking off.</p><p>Sam and Dean just looked around and noticed all the wreckage before following Angela.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, and Grace were back in the motel.</p><p>"So, you gonna keep us in suspense here or what?" Sam broke the silence.</p><p>"About what?" Angela asked as she buttoned up Grace's jacket.</p><p>"Was it Zack Morris?" Sam clarified.</p><p>Angela paused for a moment. "Uh… no."</p><p>"Huh," Sam muttered.</p><p>"It was Amara," Angela admitted.</p><p>"That surprise you?" Sam pursed his lips.</p><p>Angela's brows shot up and she looked at the brothers' stoic faces. "You guys <em>aren't</em> surprised?"</p><p>"Honestly?" Sam shrugged.</p><p>"Honestly?" Angela repeated incredulously. "You seriously think the sister of God is my deepest darkest desire?"</p><p>"She isn't?" Sam retorted.</p><p>"No! She can't be, Sam!" Angela exclaimed.</p><p>"Why not?" he asked, lips pursed.</p><p>"Why? Because if she is that means that I'm…"</p><p>"Means you're what, kid?" Dean frowned. "Complicit? Weak? Evil?"</p><p>"For starters, yeah." Angela scoffed lightly.</p><p>"Angie," Sam started. "Do you honestly think you ever had a choice in the matter? She's the sister of God, and for some reason she picked you and that sucks, but if you think we're gonna blame you or judge you… We're not."</p><p>"Sam, you know I love you. More than anything. And you both know that I want her ass dead." Angela stressed.</p><p>"Yes. Of course, baby." Sam nodded.</p><p>"And we know you've also probably beaten yourself up a hundred times over it," Dean added. "But where has that gotten us, kid?"</p><p>There was a long silence between the hunters before Sam broke the silence.</p><p>"Just how bad is it, Angie?"</p><p>"Standing here right now, every bone in my body wants to run her through. Send her back to that hole she crawled out of." Angela answered firmly. "But when I'm near her, I don't know. Something happens and I can't explain it, but to call it desire or love… it's not that. I'm screwed." Angela's voice cracked. "We wanna kill the Darkness, we need to kill the Darkness. And I don't think I can. I'm sorry to do that to you guys, ya know, but when it comes right down to it…"</p><p>"We got it, kiddo," Dean replied quietly.</p><p>Angela nodded and cleared her throat. "I'm, uh, gonna get Grace into her car seat."</p><p>Angela picked Grace up and walked out of the motel room. Sam just sighed heavily and ran a hand over his face, clearly stressed and worried. After a few quiet moments, he and Dean followed Angela out to the Impala.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. The Vessel Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Dean walked into the kitchen that morning to find Sam and Angela already up, sitting at the table doing research. Dean tried to pour himself a cup of coffee but found the coffee pot empty, much to his dismay.</p><p>"We're out," Angela noted.</p><p>"There was half a bag yesterday!" Dean exclaimed incredulously.</p><p>"I killed it," Sam replied. "Hey, did you know the Nazis had a special branch devoted to archaeology?"</p><p>"Little early for Nazi trivia, especially without coffee," Dean grumbled.</p><p>"It's called the 'Ahnenerbe,'" Sam continued. "There were sites all over Germany, and then as the Nazis increased their territory, they started popping up in Poland, Finland, uh, North Africa…"</p><p>"Yeah, how is this more important than our coffee situation?" Dean questioned with a huff.</p><p>"We may have found something," Angela told her brother-in-law. "I mean, we need something. Magic. A weapon strong enough to give us a shot against Amara. So, Sammy and I have been looking outside the lore in history. And we found this, the Vichy Memorandems. They were Nazi communications that puzzle historians to this day." She explained. "And they speak of a super weapon obtained by the Ahnenerbe, said to be strong enough to win the war."</p><p>"Yeah?" Dean walked over and sat across from the couple. "What is it?"</p><p>"Well, these memos refer to it as, 'The Hand of God.'" Sam answered. "I mean, that was sort of a catch-all term for several objects he touched on Earth in Biblical times. But they're believed to contain traces of His power."</p><p>"Yeah, well the Nazis believed a lot of things." Dean scoffed as he grabbed Sam's cup of coffee and swiftly drank it.</p><p>"Dean, Lucifer's caged. God's MIA, the only beings strong enough to battle Amara are gone." Sam retorted. "If we're gonna fight her, what better way to arm up than with an actual dose of His power?"</p><p>"Okay, so you said the Nazis got their hand on one of these, uh, hands?" Dean quirked a brow.</p><p>"Right." Angela nodded.</p><p>"Well, if it was so powerful it could win them the war, why didn't it?"</p><p>"Because they lost it. En route to Berlin, it was stolen." Angela replied.</p><p>"The Nazis searched high and low for the thief, but they never found their suspect, uh, here—Delphine Seydoux," Sam added. "French mistress to a high-ranking Nazi. Thought to be a French traitor, till she killed her German lover, and made off with the weapon."</p><p>"Allied spy? French resistance?" Dean asked curiously.</p><p>"That's what the Nazis thought," Sam nodded. "But their investigation led them to a different conclusion. That she was an 'un femme de letter.'"</p><p>Dean just stared blankly at Sam and Angela.</p><p>"A Woman of Letters." Angela translated.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Dean were looking through drawers and books, researching. Angela walked into the room with Grace on her hip.</p><p>"Who knew the Men of Letters had European chapters?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Maybe it wasn't an entire chapter, just an asset, you know?" Sam shrugged.</p><p>"Yeah, and letting women join way back in the forties?" Dean added. "I just never got the impression that they were so big on gender equality, you know, it's right there in the name."</p><p>"Well, it was World War II," Angela replied with a shrug. "Kind of an all-hands-on-deck situation, you know?"</p><p>"Yeah, Rosie the Riveter. Cool." Dean smirked.</p><p>"Here we go," Sam started. "This report was written by Clifford Henshaw, a bunker-based Man of Letters back in 1943. It's the right era. But it's in French."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam was scanning the French book with a translator and Angela sat next to him with Grace in her lap.</p><p>"Cool," Grace gasped as she watched her father.</p><p>"It is cool, isn't it?" Sam chuckled lightly.</p><p>"Well?" Dean asked as he walked in, drinking a beer.</p><p>"Hey," Sam called out. "So, it's definitely about Delphine. Her name's at the top of every page. Check this out. Transcriptions. From transatlantic cables between Clifford and Delphine."</p><p>"What'd they say?" Dean asked as he sat down at the table.</p><p>"Give me a second. Web translation's kind of buggy." Sam muttered as Dean took a swig of beer. "Seriously? Dude, it's like, noon."</p><p>"Uh, well, you drank all the coffee, so what am I supposed to drink, water?" Dean scoffed.</p><p>"Probably." Angela chuckled, earning a look from Dean.</p><p>"Look at this," Sam started. "They were making arrangements to get the artifact out of Europe to keep it safe. Henshaw pulled some strings with a Man of Letters in the OSS to requisition an active US submarine to transport Delphine and the weapon back to the States. Back to here."</p><p>"The Bunker?" Dean's brows shot up.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"So, it's been here the whole time?" Angela's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Uh…" Sam trailed off as he read some more. "No. It never arrived. The USS Bluefin came under German attack midway through its trip across the Atlantic, the sub was sunk, the ship and its contents haven't been recovered to this day. Great. It's lost."</p><p>"Or is it?" Angela pondered.</p><p>"Yeah, I'd say so, Angie." Sam scoffed lightly. "I mean, tides took the wreckage, submersibles have been trying to locate it for years. I mean, if James Cameron and his <em>'Avatar'</em> billions can't find it…"</p><p>"Yeah, but, we have something James Cameron doesn't have." Angela retorted.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>'Castiel' stared at the board in the war room while Sam, Dean, and Angela sat at the table. Grace sat on Sam's lap and held one of her stuffed animals.</p><p>"There were several God-touched objects," Castiel started. "But it never occurred to me that any of them survived the flood, let alone the 20th century."</p><p>"Do you think we can use it against Amara?" Sam asked hopefully.</p><p>"It's perfect. And I can get you back there."</p><p>"Without wings?" Sam's brows furrowed. "Cas, you can't even teleport."</p><p>"Time travel, is a, it's a whole different system," Castiel explained.</p><p>Dean snapped his fingers and pointed at Sam and Angela. "Told ya!"</p><p>"So, uh, are these the last coordinates?"</p><p>"That's the Bluefin's last transmission to shore, yeah," Angela confirmed.</p><p>"Alright," Castiel muttered.</p><p>"Wait a second," Sam frowned deeply. "Cas, aren't there still risks with time travel? I mean, aren't there consequences?"</p><p>"Sammy, this is the ideal scenario," Angela argued.</p><p>"What?" Sam asked incredulously.</p><p>"That sub is a tin can floating in the middle of the ocean doomed to go down," Angela explained. "You can't really mess with history at 20,000 leagues. So, we get in, get the weapon, get out. It's a milk run."</p><p>"Kid, that's not a very good plan." Dean retorted.</p><p>"Well, if things get out of hand, then Cas will just zap me right back." Angela shrugged nonchalantly.</p><p>"You?" Sam's brows shot up.</p><p>Angela paused for a moment and sighed heavily. "I'm going by myself."</p><p>"What?" Dean frowned.</p><p>"I beg your pardon?" Sam's eyes widened.</p><p>"You guys need to stay here, baby," Angela replied.</p><p>"Stay here?" Sam scoffed.</p><p>"Someone needs to be here with Grace. And just in case things go sideways, somebody needs to be left standing to take care of the Darkness. We can't risk all of us!" Angela explained. "And at the moment, I'm the least valuable player! You all know that I can't kill Amara, so the least I could do is get the thing that we need so that you can!"</p><p>"So, you expect me and Dean to sit here and ride pine while you and Cas go play Jules Verne?" Sam demanded.</p><p>"Yes! No. I—Who?" Angela stammered.</p><p>"I won't let her out of my sight," Castiel assured.</p><p>Sam looked up at the angel. "You'll stay by her side the <em>entire</em> time?"</p><p>"I will."</p><p>"Sammy, let me do this. Okay, I <em>need</em> to do this." Angela pleaded.</p><p>"Still think this is a bad idea," Dean muttered.</p><p>"Be safe, baby," Sam said seriously.</p><p>"When am I not?" Angela asked, earning a scoff from Sam. "I love you."</p><p>"I love you, too." Sam pecked his wife's lips.</p><p>"I'll see you guys soon," Angela promised, pecking her daughter's cheek. "Let's do this, Cas." She walked over to the angel. "Bon voyage."</p><p>'Castiel' put his hand on Angela's shoulder.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>USS Bluefin Submarine, 1943</em>
</p><p>Angela stood in the middle of a submarine, 'Castiel' nowhere to be seen. Angela was surrounded by sleeping soldiers and swallowed nervously.</p><p>"Cas?" Angela whispered as she backed up slowly, unsure of what to do, taking in her new surroundings. "Cas?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Two soldiers walked into the barracks.</p><p>"See, I enlisted to sink German ships," Petey started. "Let's go, vacation's over. You know, we got zip running controls in the bay, now Captain's got us going in the wrong direction? To run some mystery mission for some broad? Tell me how that makes sense."</p><p>"I wouldn't worry about it." The other soldier assured. "Get some rest."</p><p>"You know I can't rest," Petey muttered.</p><p>Meanwhile, Angela was on the floor, hiding underneath the bunks. Petey got into his bunk and propped himself up, with some reading material. Under the bunk, Angela looked around and noticed a mysterious sigil painted on the opposite wall.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas, Present Day</em>
</p><p>Sam was looking at a photo of the USS Bluefin in a book while Dean kept Grace occupied. They both looked up when the heard the bunker door open. 'Castiel' trudged down the stairs, soaking wet.</p><p>"Cas? Why're you—wait a second," Sam looked up frantically. "Where's Angie?"</p><p>"We made the leap, she got on, I didn't."</p><p>"What?" Sam and Dean asked in unison.</p><p>"I couldn't make it past the hull," Castiel replied grimly.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>USS Bluefin Submarine, 1943</em>
</p><p>Petey heard a coin drop on the floor. He set down his book and got out of his bunk to investigate. He picked up the quarter and looked at it more closely.</p><p>"1996?"</p><p>While he was distracted, Angela jumped Petey and wrestled him into a headlock.</p><p>"Where's Delphine?" Angela questioned. "Where is she?!"</p><p>"I don't—I don't know what you're talkin' about!" Petey gasped.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas, Present Day</em>
</p><p>Sam, Dean, and 'Castiel' walked into the library. Dean carried Grace and 'Castiel' was drying himself off with a towel.</p><p>"I want Mommy." Grace pouted.</p><p>"I know, sweetheart." Dean comforted the toddler. "We'll get her here."</p><p>"Someone must've warded the ship!" Castiel realized.</p><p>"Delphine?" Sam asked. "It has to be, I mean, she's protecting the weapon, right? Cas, just go back to their last port, before she boarded! Leave a message so Angie knows!"</p><p>"Where? Where would Angela see it that the crew wouldn't?" Castiel demanded. "She's as likely to find the warding as she is any message I'd leave."</p><p>"What the hell is your problem, man?" Dean questioned Castiel's odd behavior.</p><p>"Then send me. You got Angie past the hull." Sam pleaded.</p><p>"Right. We'll double down on what screwed us the first time." Castiel retorted sarcastically. "You're really bringing your A ideas today. I can't believe I lost it."</p><p>Sam and Dean frowned slightly at the word 'it.'</p><p>"Her." Castiel quickly corrected. "Can't believe I lost Angela. Well, it's up to her now to find and clear the warding."</p><p>"No." Sam shook his head. "We can help. There's gotta be something in magic or angel lore. Some way to clear the sigils from the outside. Cas, don't worry. We'll bring her back."</p><p>Sam grabbed a large book from one of the shelves and slammed it on the table.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>USS Bluefin Submarine, 1943</em>
</p><p>Angela was now dressed in a full sailor's uniform, and it was just baggy enough to hide her figure a bit. Her hair was tied up and tucked under the white sailor's hat. She made her way down a corridor lined with bunks filled with soldiers on either side, trying to remain unnoticed.</p><p>"Look out, comin' through! Comin' through!" one of the soldiers yelled.</p><p>The soldier squeezed past Angela as another one entered the corridor from the other end. Angela looked down, trying to hide her face and remain incognito.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Rich, ain't it?" Harris asked as Angela entered the corridor. "Frog's sitting pretty like Queen of Sheba getting room service in the war room. And I can't even gripe, cause—you seen that dame? The gams on her?" he whistled.</p><p>Angela wrinkled her nose in disgust at the man and walked away to where Delphine was sitting at the table.</p><p>"Who are you?" Delphine's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Delphine," Angela started. "You might find this hard to believe—</p><p>Without warning, Delphine stood up and kicked, punched, and threw Angela against the wall where Delphine pinned her. Angela's sailor hat fell off of her head and her hair unraveled.</p><p>"Not a soul on this ship knows my name," Delphine glared. "So, I repeat, who are you?"</p><p>"I'm a friend of Clifford Henshaw. I'm a Woman of Letters." Angela answered.</p><p>Delphine continued glaring at Angela as Harris and Petey barged in.</p><p>"That's her! Captain!" Petey pointed at Angela.</p><p>Delphine was pulled away, and she sat back down at the table as the captain entered. Angela was thrown down in another seat.</p><p>"She took my clothes and hog-tied me in the head." Petey scoffed.</p><p>"You let a broad beat the crap out of you?" the captain raised a brow.</p><p>"Hey!" Angela exclaimed indignantly.</p><p>"What should we do with her, Captain?" Harris questioned.</p><p>"Search her." The captain ordered.</p><p>Angela was pulled up from the seat and Harris started to pat her down.</p><p>"If you even try and cop a feel…" Angela warned.</p><p>Harris found Angela's cell phone and held it up. "Petey, is this yours?"</p><p>Petey took the phone and frowned. "What the hell is this?"</p><p>Angela paused for a moment. "It's a phone."</p><p>"Right." Harris rolled his eyes. "A phone, in your pocket."</p><p>"Next thing this broad's gonna tell us is that she's from space." Petey laughed.</p><p>"Yeah, or the future," Harris added mockingly.</p><p>"I am." Angela looked at Delphine, then at the captain. "Captain James Dearborn? My name is Angela Winchester and I am on a mission from the future. The details of which I am not at liberty to discuss. But know this, within the hour, a German destroyer will find and attack this submarine. And you will go down."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. The Vessel Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>USS Bluefin Submarine, 1943</em>
</p><p>"Okay, you've said your peace," the captain started. "Let me tell you what I think."</p><p>"Captain—</p><p>"I think you're some broad who's gone AWOL." The captain interrupted Delphine. "That, or you're a spy. Deciding which, I'll leave that to the Court Marshal."</p><p>"I need to speak with this woman. Alone!" Delphine stressed.</p><p>"Not a chance." The captain scoffed as he took his revolver and handed it to Petey.</p><p>"Captain, there are things, things about this mission that you don't know!" Delphine argued.</p><p>"Flash Gordon here will remain under guard until we reach the shore." The captain instructed firmly.</p><p>"Gladly," Petey muttered.</p><p>"What if we don't reach shore, what if she's right?" Delphine questioned.</p><p>"The odds of a German attack from a surface ship?" the captain rolled his eyes. "This war fest? Hunting down a lone submarine?"</p><p>The captain's assistant entered suddenly. "Captain."</p><p>The captain's brows furrowed as he followed his assistant out into the hall. After a few moments, the captain walked back in.</p><p>"Harris, back to your station. Giraldi, watch our guest."</p><p>"Yes, sir." Petey nodded.</p><p>"The Germans," Delphine looked at Angela. "They've come for it."</p><p>Angela sat across from Delphine at the table. "Delphine, the warding on the hull, the sigil. That's not like any I've ever seen."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"My mentor in the Men of Letters," Delphine started. "He taught me the symbol before he died."</p><p>"World Series, 1944. Go." Petey said, earning a blank look from Angela. "You're from the future… tell me, who won?"</p><p>"Um, the uh… the Rangers." Angela shrugged.</p><p>"The Rangers?" Petey scoffed.</p><p>"He believed it would keep me and the artifact safe on our journey." Delphine continued.</p><p>"Who are the Rangers?" Petey asked.</p><p>"From supernatural interference," Delphine added.</p><p>"And angelic interference." Angela sighed.</p><p>"Angels?" Delphine frowned in confusion. "They are not real."</p><p>"Who are the Rangers?" Petey asked again.</p><p>Angela turned to look at Petey, obviously annoyed. "Look, hon, I don't follow baseball." She replied before turning back to Delphine. "Okay, yeah, and angels are real, in fact, one of them is my ride off this sip. Now look, the warding that you put up to block the magic must have blocked him too. I cleared the one, if there's any more, we gotta clear those too, otherwise I'm stuck here."</p><p>"Okay, then, the next president." Petey quizzed.</p><p>"Delphine, you wanted the weapon to be in the Men of Letters safe house, right?" Angela asked. "I'm from the bunker. That's how I knew how to find you. From your communication with Henshaw. Now if you clear the way, I can get it there for you."</p><p>"And that's why you came? To protect the… object. The weapon?" Delphine asked curiously.</p><p>"You gonna answer my question?" Petey demanded.</p><p>"Truman. Now would you please shut up?" Angela snapped before turning her attention back to Delphine. "No. This sub is going down. But the allies do win. But from Men of Letters to Men of Letters, I'm fighting a war in the future. It's not like your war, it's big. Biblical, end-is-nigh big. And I need your weapon to win. That is why I came."</p><p>"But we all die?" Petey asked. "Me, the girl… the rest of the crew… I'm just trying to get your story clear."</p><p>Angela was quiet but looked somber and uncomfortable. "Yes. Look, I know that's a lot to ask. Especially from a complete stranger."</p><p>"You're not a stranger," Delphine assured. "From Men of Letters to Men of Letters—I trust you."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon Kansas, Present Day</em>
</p><p>'Castiel' and Dean sat at the table in the library, each leafing through a book. Sam paced as he read from a rather large book and currently, Grace was napping in her room.</p><p>"Wait a second," Sam broke the silence. "I think I have something. The spell of the gathering," he sat down next to Castiel. "It's an incantation used to focus the power of celestial beings, angels, against all drawn forms of evasion. The spell is designed to clear all mystical or occult blockages. I mean this is highly theoretical magic, it's never been used before, but it sounds like it could work."</p><p>"And the ingredients?" Castiel asked.</p><p>"Uh…" Sam read the list, then sat back in his chair, disappointed. "All but one. That's why it's never been used before, it requires the power of an archangel."</p><p>"Well, we may as well try." Castiel shrugged.</p><p>"We don't have time for long shots, Cas." Dean shook his head. "Even at full power, you're not strong enough."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>USS Bluefin Submarine, 1943</em>
</p><p>Delphine opened the old wooden box and Angela watched her with anticipation. Delphine unwrapped the contents to reveal a piece of wood that looked so ancient, it appeared to be petrified.</p><p>"That's the Hand of God?" Angela's brows shot up. "Doesn't look like much."</p><p>"No, I supposed it doesn't," Delphine smirked. "It must have been more impressive in its complete form—The Ark of the Covenant."</p><p>"Oh, so full-on Raiders. Dean would love this." Angela laughed as she reached out to touch it.</p><p>Delphine quickly stopped Angela. "Don't touch it bare-handed. Its power is potent and unstable." She warned as she shut the box. "No mortal can survive long with direct contact. I'll remove the warding. I'll be back. Promise."</p><p>Angela took the box from Delphine and stood up to follow her, but Petey raised his gun.</p><p>"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he snapped. "Definitely not you."</p><p>Angela sat down again, hands raised. "Okay."</p><p>Angela and Petey stayed in the room in silence for a few moments.</p><p>"When?" Petey finally asked.</p><p>"When what?" Angela's brows furrowed.</p><p>"When do we win? Months, years, decades?" he questioned. "Got a lot of friends and family on other ships, and in other branches. I wanna know what their chances are."</p><p>"Years. 1945." Angela replied sadly. "You believe me?"</p><p>Petey nodded slightly. "I read a lot of Flash Gordon."</p><p>Suddenly, the lights went dark and the red emergency lights started flashing as the orders to man the battle stations came over the intercom. Angela looked around, slightly unnerved.</p><p>"What's happening?"</p><p>"Shh! Shh!" Petey hushed, pointing upward.</p><p>Angela just looked up nervously.</p><p>Delphine entered suddenly and started unbuttoning her shirt, then pulled her collar away to reveal a sigil carved into her skin. Angela stood up and walked over to her, brows furrowed. Delphine just pulled out a knife and handed it to Angela.</p><p>"Kill me."</p><p>"Wait!" Petey exclaimed, turning to Angela. "You can't do that."</p><p>Delphine gave him a look and handed the knife to Angela, who took it reluctantly.</p><p>"Kill me," Delphine whispered.</p><p>"I don't have to kill you." Angela retorted. "Okay, I can just cut it, it will work."</p><p>"Not with this." Delphine shook her head. "It's spell-bound to my blood, my heart. Its power lives and dies with me. Do it!"</p><p>Angela gently put her hand on Delphine's shoulder and held the knife next to the sigil. The knife touched her skin and drew a tiny amount of blood, just as the bomb hit the Bluefin and exploded one end of the sub. They all fell over and looked around wildly, terrified.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas, Present Day</em>
</p><p>'Castiel' was cutting up ingredients for the spell when Sam and Dean walked into the library.</p><p>"Hey," Dean started. "Cas, what is that?"</p><p>"It's the spell of the gathering." He replied as he continued chopping.</p><p>"You nuts?" Sam's eyes widened. "You're not strong enough Cas, you could get hurt!"</p><p>"You find a better option?"</p><p>Sam and Dean just looked at each other.</p><p>"Well, no," Dean admitted. "But… without a serious boost to your angel mojo, that spell won't even work."</p><p>"My strength may surprise you," Castiel muttered.</p><p>"Wait a second," Sam's eyes lit up. "I remember Bobby told us when you needed strength to retrieve us from the past, you used him to power up, you touched his soul, right?"</p><p>"Sam—</p><p>"That's right," Castiel nodded. "I did that. But that procedure can be fatal."</p><p>"Use my soul," Sam replied. "That way maybe you'll have enough power to wield the spell."</p><p>"That isn't necessary."</p><p>"It's worth the risk," Sam assured. "Cas, Angie needs out help. We trust you. I trust you."</p><p>'Castiel' smiled, then started laughing, much to the brothers' confusion.</p><p>"What?" Sam asked.</p><p>"Oh, it's just—I don't need you anymore," Castiel's gruff voice dropped. "I mean, Angela's the one with the link to Amara, why have I been trying to spare you?"</p><p>"That's not Cas," Dean's eyes widened in realization.</p><p>'Castiel' flicked his wrist and Dean went flying across the room, hitting the wall, and falling unconscious.</p><p>"I mean, maybe it's because you're like the girl who kept turning me down at the prom." He grabbed Sam and slammed him against one of the columns. "I will touch your soul. Just because you asked so nicely, and I'll use your spell to blast through the warding and retrieve Angela and the uh, Hand of God, and then when Angela comes back and she finds this place decorated with your guts, I will tell her the truth, Sam. I'll just say, 'Angela…'" he paused and smiled sinisterly before putting on his Castiel voice. "Angela… he knew the risks. He wouldn't take no for an answer."</p><p>"Lucifer." Sam breathed out.</p><p>"In the flesh." Lucifer grinned evilly.</p><p>Sam looked horrified as Lucifer put his hand in to touch Sam's soul. Sam yelled in agony and Lucifer looked as though he was savoring the moment, until all of a sudden, his expression changed, and he withdrew his hand and released Sam, who fell to the ground unconscious.</p><p>"Hello, Castiel." Lucifer ground out with a slightly strained expression.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>USS Bluefin Submarine, 1943</em>
</p><p>Angela and Delphine were led out of the gallery and into the control room.</p><p>"Go ahead." The captain instructed.</p><p>The navigation officer flipped a few switches and enabled communication with the Germans.</p><p><em>"Hello, my Liebchen."</em> Gumprecht's voice rang through.</p><p>Delphine's eyes widened in disbelief. "It is not possible, I killed you."</p><p><em>"A little advice, Delphine,"</em> Gumprecht started. <em>"If you want a friend of the Thule to stay dead, burn the body. A word with the captain. You may have noticed you are up against a warship. And a crew possessing, let us say, extraordinary abilities. And you have taken damage you cannot recover from. So, I offer you a choice. Surface now, relinquish the girl and her cargo, and I can assure you and your men the highest of POW treatment. Or, you can protect her and we will discharge you and your boat right into the seabed. And recover the cargo ourselves. You have three minutes to surrender."</em></p><p>Angela and the crew of the Bluefin looked around at each other and Delphine, tense.</p><p>"I don't expect you to understand," Delphine started nervously. "But this cargo, the Germans can't have it. You need to believe me."</p><p>"Our orders were to protect you and your cargo. We wouldn't even consider a surrender." The captain promised.</p><p>"You had better reconsider," Delphine told Angela. "Killing me is your only way off this ship."</p><p>Angela looked at the box in her hands as another idea came to her. "Maybe not. Teach me how to use it. It's the power of God! I can use it to save you. Save this sub."</p><p>"And your war?" Delphine asked softly.</p><p>"I wanna help you now." Angela retorted.</p><p>"Two minutes, captain." The assistant warned.</p><p>"You save this ship, get us to the surface, and then what?" Delphine asked. "The power of God will consume you! And you'll have merely brought the weapon closer to the Nazis' grasp. We're supposed to die. Let us do it with a purpose." She opened the box. "How long can you keep this boat steady?"</p><p>"Not long." The captain frowned in confusion. "And once they resume their attack…"</p><p>"Give me every second you can."</p><p>"Delphine what are you doing?" Angela demanded.</p><p>"One minute!" the assistant exclaimed.</p><p>"I'm going to get you home," Delphine assured. "And I'm going to get you and your men your first German ship."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas, Present Day</em>
</p><p>Dean was tied up to one of the columns and Sam was still on the floor, regaining consciousness. He slowly sat up as Castiel fell onto the floor beside him. Sam immediately tried to get away from the angel.</p><p>"No, no!" Sam shook his head.</p><p>"Sam," Castiel started, struggling to hold Lucifer back. "It's me."</p><p>"Cas? Why?" Sam breathed out.</p><p>"I wanted to be of service to the fight," Castiel grunted. "And only Lucifer can beat her."</p><p>Sam's brows creased slightly. "You chose this? You have to fight, Cas! Eject him, now!"</p><p>"I can't!" Castiel snapped. "It's taking all my strength to keep him from killing you. And besides, we need him!"</p><p>"No Cas, we don't. We'll find another way to stop Amara!" Sam assured.</p><p>Castiel shook his head. "We need him to save Angela."</p><p>Sam frowned deeply as the realization hit him. "You can't time travel."</p><p>"Only Lucifer can," Castiel replied grimly.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>USS Bluefin Submarine, 1943</em>
</p><p>"How fast is your ride back?" Delphine asked curiously.</p><p>"Fast," Angela answered.</p><p>"Good."</p><p>"It's time!" the assistant yelled.</p><p>Delphine took the Hand of God from the box and held it in her hands. She looked at Angela as more bombs exploded in the water around them, the reverberations causing everyone to lose their balance. As Delphine stood up again, the Hand of God began to glow.</p><p>"God help us all." The captain prayed.</p><p>The power from the Hand of God traveled through Delphine and her eyes and entire body began to glow brightly. Angela stared at her as Delphine dropped the Hand of God, and things started to spark and explode around them. Angela swiftly grabbed the Hand of God with the cloth it was wrapped in. Suddenly, Lucifer appeared behind Angela, and he transported them off of the submarine as another bomb went off.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas, Present Day</em>
</p><p>Lucifer and Angela appeared in the bunker's main room and she frowned when she saw Sam on the floor and Dean tied up.</p><p>"Angie," Sam breathed out.</p><p>"Angie, that's not Cas!" Dean yelled in warning.</p><p>Angela stared at the brothers, then looked at Lucifer. A sheepish, gleeful look crossed Lucifer's face.</p><p>"Cat's out!" he shrugged.</p><p>Lucifer threw Angela across the table and she landed on the floor, against the wall.</p><p>"I feel a burden lifted," Lucifer started. "You know, this whole 'deep cover' thing, it just wasn't, it wasn't terribly well thought out. Donning this—this Cas mask? This grim face of angelic constipation? It just—ugh." He rolled his eyes dramatically. "And then, teaming up with you three. I mean, I thought you were insufferable as mortal enemies, but working with you? That's the soul crusher."</p><p>Unbeknownst to Lucifer, Sam managed to get his knife out and cut the palm of his hand. Angela tried to stand up, but Lucifer telekinetically pinned her up against the wall.</p><p>"Why the faces, guys?" Lucifer pursed his lips. "You should be cheering."</p><p>Sam worked on painting a sigil with his blood on the wall behind him while Lucifer was distracted.</p><p>"We have a common enemy. With this," Lucifer held up the Hand of God, still wrapped in its cloth. "She will be no problem. I mean, I will have killed you all by then, but still. Come on." He shrugged as he unwrapped the weapon.</p><p>Angela watched Lucifer in horror. "No!" she cried as he touched the weapon. "No!"</p><p>Lucifer closed his eyes as he waited for the effects of the power to come. He frowned deeply when nothing happened. Angela looked from him to the brothers and back, worried and confused.</p><p>"It's kicked!" Lucifer growled angrily.</p><p>"Well," Angela breathed out in relief. "Who'd've thought the Hand of God would turn out to be a one-hitter?"</p><p>Lucifer tossed the Hand of God onto the table and angrily advanced toward Angela. At the last second, Sam placed his hand on the angel-banishing sigil, and Lucifer disappeared with a yell.</p><p>Angela immediately went and untied Dean before running to help Sam up.</p><p>"Baby," Sam breathed out, hugging her tightly.</p><p>"Sammy where's Grace?" Angela asked worriedly.</p><p>"In her room, napping," Sam assured. "God, I'm so glad you're okay."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam walked over to Dean and Angela, who were sitting on an old concrete block. Grace sat on Dean's lap and Angela held the Hand of God, looking absolutely miserable.</p><p>"So," Sam started as he sat next to Angela on her other side.</p><p>"So… Cas." She pursed her lips.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded. "What do we do?"</p><p>"What else?" Dean scoffed. "We hunt Lucifer, trap the bastard, and save Cas."</p><p>"Like I said," Sam started. "Lucifer may be in control now, but Cas may not come back willingly. I mean, he chose it."</p><p>"No." Angela shook her head in denial. "No, not possible."</p><p>Sam wrapped an arm around Angela's waist. "So, how'd you get through today? I mean, what did you do?"</p><p>"Nothing. Baby, they…" Angela stared out over the water as she shook her head, close to tears. "I was just a witness."</p><p>"Do you wanna talk about it, kiddo?" Dean asked gently.</p><p>"No. No, story for another day." Angela quickly wiped away the oncoming tears. "Baby, the uh, the German ship that sank the Bluefin… What happened to it?"</p><p>"It went down," Sam answered with a shrug. "Unlike the sub, its wreckage was found. It was a giant hole. It ripped through the entire thing. Something must've hit the fuel tanks and exploded, but it burned. Sank."</p><p>Angela just nodded silently, a small, sad smile crossing her face for a moment as she looked down at the Hand of God. Sam and Dean just looked at each other, slightly worried.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Beyond the Mat Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Dean was sitting in the library, looking at his laptop and drinking coffee when Sam and Angela walked into the room with Grace.</p><p>"Hi Unca Dean!" the three-year-old waved.</p><p>"Hey, sweetheart." Dean smiled softly at his niece.</p><p>"Hey, have you seen the, um…" Sam trailed off as he caught a bottle of pills that Dean tossed to him. "Ah. Yeah. Thanks."</p><p>"Yeah, bottoms up," Dean replied.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam agreed. "What's with the bag?"</p><p>"You remember Top Notch Wrestling?" Dean asked as Sam and Angela sat across from him.</p><p>"Yeah," Sam nodded as he pulled Grace onto his lap. "Those, uh, wrestling shows Dad took us to when we were kids."</p><p>"Right. Came across an obituary last night." Dean sighed heavily. "Larry 'The Hangman' Lee died."</p><p>"Oh no." Sam frowned. "Wasn't he, uh…"</p><p>"He was Dad's favorite." Dean nodded. "Anytime that noose would come out, Dad would be on his feet. It was one of the few times I ever saw him actually happy."</p><p>"Yeah. I remember that."</p><p>"Anyway, the, uh, the funeral's less than a day's drive." Dean shrugged. "I say we go pay our respects."</p><p>"Uh… don't you think our plates are a little full?" Angela quirked a brow. "I mean, it's bad out there, Dean."</p><p>"Yeah, you think I don't know what? We've done nothing but mainline lore for a week, okay?" Dean retorted, clearly stressed. "We've got jack on another Hand of God and Amara, and we've got even less jack on how to save Cas."</p><p>"If he wants to be saved," Sam muttered.</p><p>"He does… even if he doesn't know it," Dean stressed.</p><p>"Dean…" Sam started.</p><p>"I'm burnt, man," Dean admitted. "Okay? And I need… We need to get out there. Let's go stretch our legs."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Brimson, Missouri</em>
</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela walked into a room full of mourners for the funeral of The Hangman. Angela was currently pushing Grace in her stroller.</p><p>"Dude, check it out," Dean's eyes widened. "Angie, that's 'The Scream' Casey Lyons."</p><p>"Oh, cool." Angela nodded.</p><p>"There's Wrecking Ball Calhoon." Dean grinned. "Wow. The Brooklyn Beast?"</p><p>"What happened to 'em?" Sam's brows furrowed. "They're all…broken."</p><p>"Dude. Dude!" Dean exclaimed. "Gunnar freakin' Lawless."</p><p>"Hmm." Sam chuckled. "Groupie much?"</p><p>"Shut up." Dean retorted. "Should I go say hi? I should go say hi. I'm gonna say hi."</p><p>Dean took a deep breath and walked over to Gunnar Lawless, who was standing with the other wrestlers.</p><p>"Hi, s-sir," Dean stammered nervously. "I, uh, saw you… saw you standing over here and told my family that I… I should come over and say hi… so I came over and, uh… Hi."</p><p>Gunnar smiled and shook Dean's hand. "Gunnar Lawless."</p><p>"Oh, I know." Dean nodded enthusiastically. "I—I got to tell you, I… worshipped you, growing up."</p><p>"Thanks." Gunnar looked down at his hand, which Dean was still holding in a vice-grip. "I plan on keeping that hand."</p><p>"Oh, sorry." Dean released his hand sheepishly. "You know, when I was…when I was 10, I got my first B&amp;E from borrowing some family's pay-per-view so I could watch the cage match between you and the Tower of Power."</p><p>"I'm not sure how I feel about contributing to your juvenile delinquency," Gunnar chuckled. "But appreciate it all the same."</p><p>"Yeah, uh… you were robbed, by the way."</p><p>"You bet your ass I was." Gunnar nodded.</p><p>Gunnar went to talk to some of his buddies, leaving a star-struck Dean behind.</p><p>"Oh, yes." Dean beamed.</p><p>Meanwhile, Sam, Angela, and Grace were on the other side of the room. Sam perked up when he noticed someone familiar.</p><p>"Hey. You're Rio." He commented.</p><p>The woman turned to look at him and Sam's eyes widened, while Angela just looked slightly confused.</p><p>"Angie, u-um, Rio used to manage Superbomb Sanchez," Sam started before looking at Rio. "Right?"</p><p>"Oh. That was a long time ago." Rio chuckled.</p><p>"Well, yeah, b-but you—you—you look great." Sam stammered awkwardly.</p><p>Rio's brows shot up and she looked warily at Angela, who was trying to stifle her laughter.</p><p>"Sorry." Sam apologized quickly. "It's just y-you were my—my first crush."</p><p>"Ah." Rio nodded. "You weren't one of those guys that had my poster above his bed, were you?"</p><p>"What?" Sam chuckled nervously. "No."</p><p>Rio just looked at Sam quizzically and Angela coughed to cover up her laughter.</p><p>"Are you still managing?" Sam quickly changed the subject.</p><p>"Oh, nah." Rio shook her head. "I call some matches sometimes, but I'm mostly behind the curtain, you know, booking the shows and taking care of the guys."</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Must be hard to see one go."</p><p>"Yeah, well… we spent a lot of time on the road together. We're like family, and lately, I've seen too many of my boys be put in the dirt." Rio explained. "I knew Hangman for 25 years. He was a good man. Great family. I just can't believe he would do this."</p><p>"Do what?" Sam's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Kill himself."</p><p>"Wait," Angela cut in. "That wasn't in the obituary."</p><p>"Ah, the family didn't want that advertised, so…" Rio trailed off. "Speaking of which, if you'll excuse me."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Angela, pushing Grace's stroller, walked across the room to the casket, where Dean stood.</p><p>"Poor son of a bitch," Dean muttered sadly.</p><p>"Yeah," Sam agreed. "You know, uh, word is…"</p><p>"Yeah. I heard." Dean replied. "Hey, you know they're having a memorial show tonight? And I know you're itching to get back, but, uh…"</p><p>"We should go to it," Sam commented.</p><p>"Really?" Dean's brows shot up.</p><p>"Why not?" Sam shrugged. "World's still gonna be screwed tomorrow, right?"</p><p>"Yeah." Dean agreed.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"The Brooklyn Beast returns against Rush in an epic Iron Man matchup!" Rio yelled into the microphone. "Let me hear you make some noise!"</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela took seats in the front row. The brothers had beers in their hands while Angela held Grace.</p><p>"Are you ready?" Rio yelled to the crowd.</p><p>"You know," Sam started as he looked around. "I remember the Top Notch shows being grander, you know? Top-notch."</p><p>"Yeah." Dean agreed. "Well, you drink enough, it'll be just like old times."</p><p>Rio exited the ring and spotted Sam, giving him a smile and a wave.</p><p>"You met Rio?" Dean smirked.</p><p>"Dude, Angie and I met her at the wake." Sam retorted. "She's nice."</p><p>"Did you tell her you used to have a poster of her over your bed when you were a kid?" Dean smirked, causing Angela to laugh.</p><p>"No," Sam mumbled, embarrassed.</p><p>"Oh, it's okay, baby." Angela kissed her husband's cheek. "I had a Justin Timberlake poster back in the 90s."</p><p>"Seriously?" Sam raised his brows.</p><p>"Mmhmm." Angela hummed.</p><p>Sam blinked a few times in disbelief before clearing his throat. "Get this. Guy at the wake told me and Angie that they're only making 25 bucks tonight."</p><p>"That's it?" Dean frowned.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Now, that hardly seems worth it." Dean scoffed. "Yeah, think about that. Town after town, putting your ass on the line for next to nothing? No money. No glory. Wow."</p><p>"You realize you just literally described our jobs." Angela retorted.</p><p>Dean contemplated this as other patrons started to sit down behind them. Another spectator and his son accidentally bumped them.</p><p>"Whoa," the man chuckled. "Excuse me, fellas."</p><p>"It's all right." Sam and Dean replied.</p><p>"This is gonna be great." The spectator told his son.</p><p>"Yeah." The boy agreed.</p><p>"Got to love some rasslin', am I right?" the spectator asked the hunters.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded.</p><p>"Beer's cheap, kid's entertained… parenting. I'm sure you understand." The spectator nodded at Grace before turning to his son. "Remember, don't tell Mom how many I've had."</p><p>"Yeah, now that brings me back," Sam muttered.</p><p>Dean sighed heavily. "You want to not try and ruin one of the nicest things Dad ever did for us, please? Thank you."</p><p>"Ladies and gentlemen…" Rio started. "Put your hands together for Hellrazor!"</p><p>A wrestler in a red tracksuit came out into the crowd, ready to fight.</p><p>"And now, ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Gunnar Lawless!" Rio yelled into the microphone.</p><p>Gunnar entered the room, waving. Dean jumped up from his chair enthusiastically.</p><p>"Yeah!" Dean yelled.</p><p>"Oh, yeah!" Gunnar grinned.</p><p>The audience was screaming for him, including Dean. Gunnar was punching his chest and raising his fists into the air.</p><p>"Oh, yeah!" Dean beamed.</p><p>"Right?! Right?!" Gunnar yelled into the cheering crowd.</p><p>"Hey," Dean told Sam and Angela. "Get up. Show some respect."</p><p>Gunnar held one hand in the air, and then took his glove off, and pointed into the crowd.</p><p>"Who's getting it? Who's getting it, huh?" Gunnar yelled to the crowd.</p><p>"Oh, oh, remember this?" Dean asked Sam excitedly. "This is where he takes the glove off and gives it to some kid before the match. Whoo!"</p><p>Gunnar pointed at Dean. "Huh?"</p><p>"Oh yeah!" Dean exclaimed enthusiastically. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!"</p><p>Dean watched as Gunnar handed his glove to the kid who sat behind the hunters.</p><p>"Cool." The kid shrugged.</p><p>"Okay." Dean nodded in disappointment.</p><p>"Maybe next time," Sam smirked as he patted Dean on the shoulder.</p><p>"It's all right. I'm not a child. It's fine." Dean muttered.</p><p>The audience sat down as the wrestling match began.</p><p>"Big foot to the face!" Rio commented.</p><p>Gunnar thrilled the crowd with the first blow. Sam, Dean, and Angela were all cheering, and Grace just clapped her hands.</p><p>"Lawless up on the ropes now," Rio noted.</p><p>Gunnar launched himself at Hellrazor, who landed a punch into Gunnar's stomach, causing the crowd to groan. The Hellrazor tossed Gunnar out of the ring and he landed beside Dean.</p><p>"Get up!" Sam exclaimed. "Get up, buddy."</p><p>"Come on, man." Dean pleaded.</p><p>"You can do it," Sam assured. "Gunnar. Get up, buddy."</p><p>Gunnar winked at Dean and got to his feet. The Hellrazor came at Gunnar with a metal chair and smacked him with it. The Hellrazor pulled Gunnar back into the ring and put him in a headlock.</p><p>"Get out of it!" Sam yelled as he raised his fist in the air. "Gunnar!"</p><p>Gunnar began to stamp his foot, and the crowd joined in, chanting Gunnar's name. Then Gunnar charged backward, smashing Hellrazor into the ropes. Gunnar strode around the ring as the crowd cheered. Sam, Dean, and Angela cheered as Gunnar threw Hellrazor across the ring into the ropes. He grabbed him around the neck and the audience screamed.</p><p>"Up and over! Up and over!" Dean yelled.</p><p>Gunnar slammed the Hellrazor to the floor and the referee hovered.</p><p>"1, 2, 3!" Gunnar and the crowd yelled.</p><p>Dean jumped out of his seat, cheering loudly. Sam and Angela laughed alongside him, and Gunnar celebrated along with the crowd.</p><p>"Oh, but it's all over now, folks!" Rio exclaimed.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"All right," the police officer closed the ambulance door. "You guys are good!"</p><p>The ambulance pulled away, while Sam talked to the spectator's son and the police.</p><p>"Hey, buddy, try to keep your head up, okay?" Sam comforted.</p><p>Sam looked at his phone as he walked over to Dean and Angela. Angela held Grace, who had her arms wrapped around her mother's neck, clearly sleepy.</p><p>"Poor kid." Dean shook his head.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam agreed.</p><p>"What'd they say?" Angela asked curiously.</p><p>"You're not gonna believe this. The body… was marked." Sam showed Dean and Angela a picture of the body on his phone.</p><p>"Wow." Dean's brows shot up. "By what? What, he get in a tickle fight with Edward Scissorhands?"</p><p>"Dude," Sam scoffed lightly. "Look, the cuts look deliberate, you know? Ritualistic."</p><p>"What, you think it's a case?" Dean's brows creased.</p><p>"You think it's not?" Sam retorted.</p><p>"Okay," Dean conceded. "What are you thinking?"</p><p>"I don't know. A witch, maybe?" Sam suggested. "You know what? I'll head back to the motel, look into the symbol."</p><p>"I'll come with you, babe," Angela replied.</p><p>"I'll stay here," Dean sighed. "Shake some trees."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean walked back inside, looking around for any of the wrestlers.</p><p>"Hello? FBI. I got some questions…" Dean called out. "Bueller?"</p><p>Dean looked around when no one responded and then looked at the empty ring. He imagined the crowd roaring for him and rolled into the ring. Dean bounced back and forth off the ropes, rolling into the ring again and again. He strutted across the floor and raised his hands in the air.</p><p>"Whoo!"</p><p>Dean rolled into the ring again and climbed onto the ropes.</p><p>"Oh yeah!" he yelled.</p><p>"Nice moves," Rio commented as she walked in.</p><p>Dean jumped quickly off the ropes and spun around, slightly embarrassed. He saw Rip and attempted to exit the stage gracefully by rolling through the ropes. Instead, he landed heavily and awkwardly.</p><p>"Oh, god," Rio cringed. "Are you all right?"</p><p>"Yeah." Dean nodded. "Uh… agent, uh, Roussimoff, FBI."</p><p>"You were at the wake, weren't you?" Rio recalled.</p><p>"I was." Dean nodded. "Yeah, and then the body dropped, and back on the clock. Did you know the deceased?"</p><p>"Oh, I… I sold him some tickets." She shrugged. "He had a kid, right?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Wow," Rio sighed. "Maybe my boys are right. Maybe we really are cursed."</p><p>"Cursed?" Dean raised his brows.</p><p>"Back in Shreveport, our first stop on the tour, a maintenance guy found a body stashed in a dumpster behind the VFW," Rio explained. "And now this."</p><p>"Could I get a list of your whole crew?" Dean asked. "Wrestlers, roadies, anybody that you roll with?"</p><p>"Oh, we use locals for all the setups and concessions. I can only afford to travel with my boys."</p><p>"And where would they be right now?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"Try the nearest bar." Rip suggested. "I know that's where I'll be."</p><p>"Okay. Thanks." Dean nodded.</p><p>Rio left, while Dean clutched his back and winced.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean walked into the dingey bar and looked around. There was a scantily clad woman dancing on the pool table and many of the wrestlers enjoying a drink. Dean noticed Rio and she nodded to him. Soon enough, Dean spotted Gunnar and went to sit with him at the bar.</p><p>"Hey," Dean greeted.</p><p>"Hey," Gunnar gave Dean a drink. "Dean, right?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"You enjoy the show?" Gunnar asked curiously.</p><p>"The show was great." Dean nodded. "You were great. After the show, not so much, but, uh…"</p><p>"Yeah, I heard." Gunnar sighed heavily. "It's a damn shame."</p><p>"Yeah." Dean agreed.</p><p>They each threw back their shots easily, not even reacting to the alcoholic sting.</p><p>"That's, uh, kind of why I'm here. Uh…" Dean showed Gunnar his FBI badge.</p><p>"Kind of buried the lead on that one, huh?" Gunnar muttered.</p><p>The waitress poured another drink for them and Dean looked up at her.</p><p>"Thanks." He smiled.</p><p>"You're welcome." She replied before sauntering off.</p><p>"But I hear this isn't the first murder at a Top-Notch show." Dean looked at Gunnar.</p><p>"It's a rough crowd… inside the ring and out." He shrugged.</p><p>"Yeah." Dean pursed his lips.</p><p>"'92, I'm leaving the ring and some damn reprobate goes at me with a broken beer bottle." Gunnar showed Dean the scar on his arm.</p><p>"Wow." Dean's brows shot up. "A couple of years ago, a, uh, perp got the drop on me, decided to take a chunk of my leg as a keepsake." He showed the scar on his leg.</p><p>"See this right here?" Gunnar showed Dean his fingers. "Far as I can bend these thanks to good ol' Jonah Rancid and all 400 pounds of him just dropping down on me."</p><p>"Wow. But yet you're still out there, still doing it." Dean noted.</p><p>"I've been beat up, spit on, stabbed, roughed up," Gunnar shrugged. "But I will be damned if I didn't always get back up. One thing I learned, you got to keep on grinding no matter what's thrown your way."</p><p>"Damn, you're awesome," Dean smirked.</p><p>"Tell that to my ex-wives." Gunnar scoffed.</p><p>Suddenly, Dean's phone started ringing.</p><p>"Ah. Give me a sec." Dean excused himself and walked a few feet away from the bar. "Hey, what do you got?"</p><p><em>"A lot, actually."</em> Sam's voice rang through. <em>"Uh, so every stop on the Top Notch tour, somebody turned up dead. It didn't all happen at the venue, and most of them look like accidents, but they all had the symbol… Hangman, too."</em></p><p>Dean's brows creased in confusion. "Well, I thought he killed himself."</p><p><em>"Yeah, that's what Rio said,"</em> Sam replied. <em>"But the cops are treating it like an open case. They're thinking, and I quote, 'It's some kind of weird satanic crap.'"</em></p><p>"Awesome," Dean replied sarcastically.</p><p><em>"Yeah, it gets better. That symbol… ancient Sumerian."</em> Sam noted. <em>"Said to have the power to 'pluck the spark of life.'"</em></p><p>"And that means?"</p><p><em>"Souls, maybe?"</em> Sam suggested.</p><p>"So we're talking demon?" Dean asked.</p><p><em>"It's worth checking out,"</em> Sam replied.</p><p>"Well, Rio says that they use locals to set up, so…" Dean trailed off.</p><p>
  <em>"So, it's got to be one of the wrestlers."</em>
</p><p>"Maybe." Dean pursed his lips. "All right. Just get here."</p><p><em>"What are you gonna do?"</em> Sam asked curiously.</p><p>"I'm working on it," Dean muttered before hanging up.</p><p>Meanwhile, Harley sauntered up to one of the waitresses.</p><p>"Yo! Sweetheart! Hit me again!" he demanded.</p><p>"Hey, Harley, go easy," Gunnar warned. "I think you've had enough."</p><p>"Screw off." Harley snapped.</p><p>"Just trying to help," Gunnar muttered.</p><p>"Like you helped me in Fort Worth?" Harley scoffed as he turned to face Gunnar. "What? You think I don't know you got me kicked off the card?"</p><p>"You wouldn't job to Crazy D, and I couldn't abide by that."</p><p>"Yeah," Harley glared. "I think you just can't stand the thought of me stealing your thunder."</p><p>Gunnar snorted. "Kid, I got no worries about that."</p><p>Harley turned as if he was about to leave but then swung a punch, knocking Gunnar to the floor.</p><p>Rio immediately rushed over to stop the fight. "All right. That's enough."</p><p>"Get up, old man. Or do you need your go-juice?" Harley taunted.</p><p>"What?" Rio demanded angrily.</p><p>"That's right. I saw him and his dealer. Your golden boy's a freaking junkie!"</p><p>"He's lying." Gunnar scoffed.</p><p>"Like hell," Harley growled.</p><p>"All right, all right. Harley, we got two days till Memphis. Sleep it off. Gunnar, I'll talk to you about this tomorrow." Rio lectured as she pushed Harley. "Go."</p><p>Dean walked over and helped Gunnar up. "Hey."</p><p>"Hey," Gunnar grunted.</p><p>"You okay?"</p><p>"Ah, yeah, yeah." Gunnar nodded. "I've been hit harder by guys a lot tougher."</p><p>"Yeah." Dean nodded as Gunnar sat at the bar. "Why, uh… why didn't you fight back?"</p><p>"I got nothing to prove."</p><p>"You okay, boss?" another wrestler walked over.</p><p>"Yeah," Gunnar assured. "Just another day, huh?"</p><p>While Gunnar was distracted, Dean poured some holy water into his drink. When the other wrestler left, Dean offered Gunnar a toast.</p><p>"Well, hey. Here's, uh… here's to being the bigger man, right?" Dean smiled.</p><p>"Obliged." Gunnar nodded.</p><p>They both threw back their drinks. Dean watched for a reaction from Gunnar and got nothing. He looked around the room at the other wrestlers.</p><p>"We're gonna need more shots," Dean muttered. "A lot more."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Beyond the Mat Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam and Angela wandered into the bar, and Angela carried Grace as they looked for Dean. The waitress was closing up and everyone was gone, except for Dean, who was lying on one of the benches. He groaned, alerting Sam and Angela.</p><p>"Dean?" Angela asked quietly.</p><p>"Dean. Hey!" Sam exclaimed, looking at his brother quizzically. "Dude, you okay?"</p><p>"Yeah. Ah." Dean grunted as he sat up.</p><p>"What happened?" Angela's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Mostly tequila… cut with holy water." Dean slurred. "I bought drinks for all the wrestlers, and then, you know, they're like, 'well, you got to drink, too.' Oh, man, they can drink, especially Rio. Ugh. I think I heard my liver screaming at me."</p><p>"So, did anyone react?" Sam questioned.</p><p>"No."</p><p>"And you got them all?" Angela raised her brows.</p><p>Dean squinted slightly. "Uh, yeah, except uh, Harley, the ultimate douchebag. He bailed before I could get to him. Why is it so bright in here?"</p><p>"All right. Let's go find him." Sam said as he and Angela turned to leave.</p><p>"Okay," Dean mumbled, not getting up.</p><p>Sam turned around after a few moments and rolled his eyes. "Dude!"</p><p>"I'm coming," Dean grumbled as he got up and followed the couple, swaying slightly.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, and Grace were in the Impala, pulling into a motel parking lot. Angela unbuckled Grace and the three hunters walked up to one of the doors.</p><p>"Harley!" Dean yelled as he knocked. "Harley!"</p><p>Dean looked at Sam and Angela before taking out his lock pick. They all walked into the room, only to find it completely trashed.</p><p>"Well, that's not good," Dean commented.</p><p>"Uh, ya think?" Angela scoffed.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean walked around the room checking for EMF while Sam and Angela sat at the table. Sam was looking at something on his iPad and Angela held Grace as the toddler started to doze off.</p><p>"Hey, check this out," Sam called out to Dean. "Come here."</p><p>"Got something?" Dean walked over.</p><p>"Yeah, uh, security-cam footage." Sam nodded. "All right, let's see if we got anything. Um, so this is 1:07 a.m. Harley heads to his room. Um…"</p><p>They watched the footage and saw a white van pull up in front of Harley's room.</p><p>"Who's…" Angela frowned in confusion.</p><p>"No idea," Sam muttered. "But, in there for a few minutes, and that's Harley."</p><p>"Wow," Dean started as they saw a man drag Harley out of his room. "He looks knocked out."</p><p>"Yeah. Now, let's see." Sam magnified the picture to see if they could ID the man.</p><p>"Lawless?" Dean's brows shot up.</p><p>"If Harley is a demon, then how did Gunnar get the drop on him?" Angela asked curiously.</p><p>"Let's find him and ask him." Dean pursed his lips.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Okay, traffic cameras show the truck heading north on Wilson, past First and Second, but it never got to Third," Sam noted. "Wait a second. That's… that's by the…"</p><p>"Yeah," Dean muttered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The hunters arrived at Trenton Hall and the Impala pulled up next to the white van. They entered the hall with their guns drawn, while Grace slept in her car seat. Gunnar stood over Harley's bloody body, knife still in hand.</p><p>"Drop it," Dean instructed.</p><p>Suddenly, the three hunters were thrown against the wall and Duke emerged from the shadows.</p><p>"Isn't this a fun surprise?" he smirked.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Sam, Dean, and Angela." Duke looked them over. "I got to admit… after all the stories, I thought you'd be more."</p><p>"Well, sorry to disappoint." Dean retorted.</p><p>"It's my fault," Duke admitted. "You get your hopes up. You want an L.A. 10, but you settle for a Kansas 5. Life, right. The name's—</p><p>"We don't care." Angela interrupted, rolling her eyes.</p><p>"Okay. Small talk over." Duke nodded, turning to Gunnar. "Kill them."</p><p>Gunnar strode toward Dean obediently, grabbing him roughly.</p><p>"Gunnar, Gunnar, no. Wait." Dean tried to stop him.</p><p>"Dean!" Sam and Angela yelled.</p><p>Gunnar threw Dean through a flimsy wall, while Duke kept Sam and Angela pinned to the wall. Gunnar threw Dean again, causing him to groan in pain. Gunnar just kept going at him, throwing another punch.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Sorry, kid," Gunnar muttered as he tied Dean to a chair. "I don't want to do this."</p><p>"Oh, then don't." Dean retorted.</p><p>Gunnar walked to stand in front of Dean. "You say that like I got a choice. That guy out there, he's a—</p><p>"He's a demon. I know." Dean cut him off. "And I know about Hell and deals… all of it. What's he got over you? You sold your soul, didn't you?"</p><p>"Ten years ago," Gunnar started. "I wanted another shot at that belt; 50,000 people screaming my name. I was desperate and dumb."</p><p>Dean's brows furrowed in confusion. "But you only had the title for like, a week."</p><p>"Desperate and dumb." Gunner reiterated.</p><p>"Okay. Okay. Look, you screwed up, all right? Trust me. I've been there." Dean assured. "But it is never too late to do the right thing."</p><p>"You really believe that?"</p><p>"I have to," Dean answered firmly.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Angela were still pinned to the wall.</p><p>"Does Crowley know you're doing this?" Angela asked.</p><p>"Crowley's Lucifer's bitch boy," Duke scoffed. "Which is why I'm doing this."</p><p>"Stealing souls?" Sam raised his brows.</p><p>"Building a nest egg." Duke corrected. "With the Darkness out and the Devil running Hell, well it's kind of every demon for him/her/shimself."</p><p>"So, why do you need Lawless?" Angela questioned.</p><p>"Well, I can't be everywhere." Duke shrugged. "When the g-man's deal came due, I gave him a choice… end up hellhound chow or collect souls for me. I'm delegating. That's what good managers do."</p><p>"Hey!" Dean yelled suddenly, barging into the room.</p><p>"Hey, yourself, handsome." Duke flung Dean back into the other room and looked at Sam and Angela, wielding a knife. "Now, this… this is my favorite part."</p><p>"No!" Angela struggled, unable to break free from the demonic hold.</p><p>Duke was about to cut Sam, when Gunnar, out of nowhere, stabbed Duke from behind with the demon knife.</p><p>Sam checked to make sure Angela was okay before looking at Gunnar uncertainly. "Thanks."</p><p>Sam and Angela immediately went into the other room to check on Dean.</p><p>"Dean. Hey." Angela said as she and Sam helped him up. "Dean, hey. Are you okay?"</p><p>"Yeah, I'm good. I'm good."</p><p>The three hunters turned to face Gunnar as he heard the sound of dogs howling.</p><p>"What?" Angela frowned.</p><p>"Hellhounds." Dean realized.</p><p>"I always wondered what they'd sound like," Gunnar muttered.</p><p>The hellhounds continued to growl in the distance. Dean tried to hand Gunnar his gun.</p><p>"Listen, man. You, uh—</p><p>"No. I've never been a good man." He interrupted. "I look in the mirror and I hate the face looking back at me."</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela acknowledged what Gunnar said, knowing it was hopeless anyway.</p><p>"No, I, uh… I got this coming." Gunnar swallowed nervously.</p><p>The hellhounds were at the door, barking loudly as they tried to force the door open.</p><p>"Go on. Get out. Now!" Gunnar yelled.</p><p>"Sammy, come on," Angela looked up at her husband. "We need to get back to Gracie."</p><p>Gunnar handed the demon knife back to Sam and the hunters left through a different door, leaving Gunnar alone.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela walked down the stairs into the bunker. Angela carried Grace and the toddler was fast asleep.</p><p>"Are you okay?" Sam asked his brother.</p><p>"Not even a little bit," Dean admitted as they all walked to the table. "Lawless was a good guy. He didn't deserve to go out like that, you know?"</p><p>Sam sighed heavily. "You know what? He made a bad decision. We've been there."</p><p>"Yeah," Angela agreed. "You, me, Dean, now Cas."</p><p>"Kiddo, we'll get him back. We will." Dean assured. "We just got to—</p><p>"Keep grinding." Angela finished. "No matter how much it hurts, no matter how hard it gets, you got to keep grinding."</p><p>"Right." Sam nodded.</p><p>"And that's how we're gonna win," Angela affirmed. "And we're gonna win. We're gonna save Cas, we're gonna ice the Devil, and we're gonna shank the Darkness. And anyone that gets in our way, well, God help them."</p><p>"Damn right, kid." Dean agreed firmly.</p><p>"Damn right." Sam leaned down to kiss his wife.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Safe House Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Angela sat at a booth in a local café with a cup of coffee and Grace sat next to her in a booster chair eating applesauce. Sam and Dean walked into the café and sat across from Angela and Grace.</p><p>"Daddy!" Grace squealed happily.</p><p>"Hey, Peanut." Sam booped her nose, causing the toddler to erupt with giggles. "Alright, nothing on Amara. Nothing on Cas…"</p><p>Angela sighed heavily, clearly not happy.</p><p>"Keep your head up, kiddo," Dean assured. "We're gonna win this. Remember?"</p><p>"Yeah, that was before two weeks of squat," Angela muttered before sipping her coffee.</p><p>"Yeah well look, nobody said it was gonna be easy. You know the drill, in the meantime, we hunt."</p><p>"Check this out," Sam pulled out his iPad. "Naoki Himura. Said her little girl was attacked by an entity."</p><p>Angela took the iPad and her brows furrowed as she read the article. "Kid's in a coma."</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Only site of trauma is what the mom is describing as a handprint from the alleged attacker. But no one else was in the house at the time, so…"</p><p>"So, vengeful spirit? Poltergeist?" Angela raised her brows.</p><p>"It's worth finding out," Dean replied. "It's only a couple hours away."</p><p>"You really think now is the time to take our eye off the prize?" Angela scoffed.</p><p>"Baby, we can't just sit around and—and wait for a lead." Sam sighed. "Plus, it would be nice to get a win, this case seems like a lay-up."</p><p>"Yeah, when's the last time we had a lay-up?" Angela muttered. "Alright, I'll call Jody to see if she can babysit."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Grand Rapids, Michigan</em>
</p><p>Dean, Sam, and Angela, dressed in their FBI apparel, stood in St. Eligius Hospital talking to Naoki near the bed where Kat lied, unconscious.</p><p>"My wife is flying back, but her flight's been delayed in London, so…" Naoki's voice broke. "I'm alone in all this."</p><p>"Well, we're here to help however we can," Sam assured.</p><p>"I appreciate that, but why would the FBI have any interest in this?"</p><p>"Just… doing our due diligence," Sam answered vaguely. "You know what, why don't you go ahead and tell us about the night of the attack?"</p><p>"Nobody believes there was an attack." Naoki shook her head. "Even the internet thinks I'm crazy."</p><p>"Well, we don't." Angela comforted.</p><p>"Okay," Naoki nodded. "Well… Kat woke up screaming. I thought she was just having a nightmare. But she said she heard footsteps. And that she felt something—bad—in the house."</p><p>"Did you also hear footsteps?" Sam questioned.</p><p>"No," Naoki replied.</p><p>"Did you notice anything else?" Sam asked curiously. "Cold spots, or flickering lights."</p><p>"Yeah, actually," Naoki muttered. "The lights were out in her room. And it was cold in there. What does that mean?"</p><p>"Would you mind if we went and had a look at your house?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Sure, yeah, if you think it's gonna help." Naoki nodded. "There's a hide-a-key under a painted rock by the front door."</p><p>"Great. Thank you for your help." Angela told Naoki sincerely.</p><p>"Yeah, sure." Naoki murmured.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela arrived at the house and got out of the Impala. The three hunters started walking up the house's walkway when the next-door neighbor watering her plants stopped them.</p><p>"Excuse me!" she called out. "Can I help you three?"</p><p>"Maybe," Sam nodded as they walked over to her. "Special Agent Rizer. These are my partners, Special Agents Bean and Lance. We—</p><p>"Why does the FBI keep coming back to that house?" the woman demanded rudely.</p><p>"Excuse me?" Angela's brows furrowed.</p><p>"A handful of years ago the FBI came here." The woman answered. "I'm the head of the neighborhood watch, you know, so I asked the two agents what they were doing here."</p><p>"And what'd they say?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Not a thing," the woman scoffed. "They were two of the rudest people I'd ever met."</p><p>"Huh," Sam muttered. "By any chance were the agents, um… elder statesmen?"</p><p>"Yeah," the woman narrowed her eyes. "Friends of yours?"</p><p>The three hunters just looked at each other silently, not sure what to say.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean, Sam, and Angela walked into the house and looked around, each of them taking out their EMF detectors. Immediately, all of their detectors started going off. Dean and Angela headed upstairs while Sam scoped out the ground floor. The three of them met up again downstairs after a few moments.</p><p>"I'm getting hits everywhere down here," Sam noted.</p><p>"Yeah, upstairs as well," Dean replied. "Alright, so what? Bobby and Rufus worked a case here back in the day?"</p><p>Sam pursed his lips, looking unsure.</p><p>"We've had houses with multiple ghosts before." Angela shrugged.</p><p>"I dunno, baby." Sam sighed heavily. "I mean the world is small, but it's not that small."</p><p>"I've got a couple of Bobby's old journals in the trunk," Dean started. "Why don't we dig into those, dig into the history of the house, see what's what."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean leaned against the Impala in the motel parking lot as Sam and Angela returned from the motel's office, hand-in-hand.</p><p>"Get this," Angela started. "The manager said two FBI agents stayed here years ago."</p><p>"And I got the same room. For luck." Sam added, waving the key with his free hand.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Angela sat on one of the motel beds, looking at his laptop. Angela rested her head on Sam's shoulder.</p><p>"There were two deaths at the house," Sam called out to Dean. "The first was accidental, and don't laugh—a dude choked on a chicken bone. And the other was a murder, a man shot his wife."</p><p>"Well, Bobby and Rufus were definitely on a ghost hunt." Dean walked over and handed Sam Bobby's journal before sitting on the edge of the other bed.</p><p>"Grand Rapids, Michigan…possible ghost hunt with jackass." Sam read, letting out a laugh. "That's all he wrote?"</p><p>"Yeah, I guess Bobby never got around to finishing it. Slacker." Dean replied as he sipped his drink. "Okay, so they were either hunting Chicken Bone or Ass-Hat."</p><p>"One ghost breaks bad then, the other's been marinating until now," Angela suggested. "The only problem I see is that we don't know what bones Bobby and Rufus burned, so we might have to… dig up two graves."</p><p>"I dunno, baby," Sam replied skeptically. "I think there's more to it than that, I mean, something's not right, it's all a little too easy."</p><p>"Hey, easy like Sunday morning works for me. Okay?" Angela shrugged. "We could wrap this up quick, get back to hunting Amara, get Cas back. I mean hey, you guys said it yourself, this case is supposed to be a lay-up, right?"</p><p>Angela got up and threw her hair into a ponytail as she walked over to the door.</p><p>"Yeah but, kiddo, you were right," Dean admitted. "You know, I mean, when have we ever had one of those?"</p><p>"Come on," Angela rolled her eyes as she opened the door. "You think Bobby and Rufus wasted any time arguing about this kind of crap? Let's go!"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean opened a casket to find that the body inside had already been burned. "Son of a bitch!"</p><p>"Ashes." Sam sighed heavily.</p><p>"There's gotta be an easier way to dig graves," Angela muttered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The three hunters cracked open the second grave, only to find that this grave had also been burned.</p><p>"Dammit." Angela groaned.</p><p>"Oh, come on!" Dean yelled, frustrated.</p><p>"Come on." Sam breathed out. "Bobby always was thorough."</p><p>"Two ashcans, which means we're not hunting a ghost," Angela noted.</p><p>"Told you." Sam retorted.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Angela rolled her eyes. "I get it, baby."</p><p>"So, then what the hell are we hunting?" Dean muttered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Naoki was unconscious in one of the hospital beds and Dean stood nearby, on his phone.</p><p>"Yeah. Thank you, I appreciate it. Bye." He said before hanging up.</p><p>Sam and Angela walked over and Dean turned to face them.</p><p>"This has happened before." The three hunters said simultaneously.</p><p>"You first." The brothers said.</p><p>Angela just rolled her eyes. "Dean, just, come here."</p><p>Angela and Sam led Dean over to an older looking woman.</p><p>"Doctor Richards," Angela started. "This is our partner, Special Agent Rizer. This is Doctor Richards. Now she's retired, but—</p><p>"I still have friends on staff here," Dr. Richards cuts in. "So when I heard that two family members had lapsed into unexplainable comas, I came in to see if I could help."</p><p>"So, you were here when this happened before," Dean replied.</p><p>"Yes." She confirmed. "Two FBI agents spoke to me about that case, too."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"So, what happened?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>"What happened?" Dr. Richards repeated. "I have no idea. The next day, mother and son woke up, both perfectly fine. Obviously, I hope the same thing happened here, with these two… their vitals are failing as well. So…"</p><p>"Okay, thank you for your time," Angela replied sincerely.</p><p>Dr. Richards nodded silently before leaving.</p><p>"So, Bobby and Rufus's case," Dean muttered.</p><p>"It's back, whatever it was—is," Sam confirmed. "What'd you find?"</p><p>"I talked to the local PD, the actual cops that found Mary Henderson back in the day, and brought her to this hospital," Dean explained.</p><p>"Are the Hendersons still around?" Angela raised her brows.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela pulled up in the Impala and got out. Mary Henderson was standing outside in front of her house.</p><p>"Mary Henderson?" Dean asked as they walked toward her. "Hi, we're Special Agents—</p><p>"Oh, God." She interrupted nervously. "Is it happening again, am I… is my son in danger?"</p><p>"No, no, everything's—everything's fine," Dean assured quickly. "Um, but we, we would like to talk about what happened to your son."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The three hunters sat across from Mary as she poured herself a cup of tea.</p><p>"Next thing you know," she started. "I woke up in the hospital, and one of the FBI agents told me to never touch the wallpaper in the sitting room."</p><p>"Two people are in great danger," Sam informed. "Anything you can remember, any little detail…"</p><p>"I, um… when I was in the coma, I had a dream. I mean, it was more like a nightmare." Mary recalled. "It was like I was in the house, but it wasn't the house. Everything was dark. And it looked faded. And at first, I was alone, but then I started to see things."</p><p>"What'd you see exactly?" Angela asked gently.</p><p>"My husband," Mary answered. "He was dead. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, he was gone. I tried to leave the house but I couldn't. And then that's when I started to see them. Spirits, or something, I don't know." She explained. "Like I said, it's all faded now, it's just… a bad dream."</p><p>"And what happened when you woke up?" Sam asked.</p><p>"Well, we—tried to move on." Mary shrugged. "But I couldn't shake the bad feeling, and so we put the house up for sale. Then the market crashed, so finally we just walked on the mortgage. Which is why we now rent and probably will forever." She added. "Destroying our credit was worth it, though. Anything to get away from that damn house."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam walked into the sitting room where Naoki had started removing the wallpaper. He looked closely at it and noticed the red paint poking out from underneath.</p><p>"Dean! Angie!" Sam called out. "Check this out. Look at this."</p><p>Sam pulled away more of the wallpaper as Dean and Angela walked in. Under the wallpaper was a red sigil painted on the wall.</p><p>"What the hell?" Angela muttered.</p><p>"You recognize that?" Sam asked.</p><p>"Vaguely," Dean replied. "Looks like they broke the seal when they were redecorating."</p><p>Sam ran his hand over the broken part of the seal gently.</p><p>"The hell are we hunting?" Angela huffed.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"The nest looks and feels like whatever house the Soul Eater is in." Sam read from one of the books.</p><p>"So, Mary didn't have a nightmare when she was in her coma." Dean realized. "Remember, she said that she was in her house, but it wasn't her house? She was in the nest."</p><p>"The Soul Eaters aren't really here or there," Sam added. "But apparently they can muster enough strength to yank their vic's souls out of this world, and into their nest. And then as soon as the vic's in the nest, they're outside of our space and time."</p><p>"Okay, well, what about Mary seeing her dead husband and her son?" Angela inquired.</p><p>"Apparently, the nest messes with their victim's head," Sam answered. "Shows them things they love, parts of their soul in distress, it keeps the victim's soul vulnerable."</p><p>"So, what happens to the meat suits in the real world?" Dean's brows furrowed.</p><p>Angela read further into one of the books. "Oh… apparently, they wither and die in the real world."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"There's a case down in Goodlettsville, Tennessee," Dean flipped through Bobby's journal. "Bobby had a call from another hunter, a guy named Harvey. Uh, he was hunting a case, house was rumored to be chock full of poltergeists… but he couldn't find the bones to burn, so he called Bobby for backup. Bobby high-tails it down there, he goes into the house, buckshots, guns blazin'…"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Bobby and Rufus put up their sigil, and trapped the Soul Eater in its nest." Dean paced the room.</p><p>"Right." Angela nodded. "Yeah, and it stayed there until Naoki accidentally broke the sigil's seal when she redecorated."</p><p>"Right. Which set the Soul Eater free." Dean replied. "Okay, but if the sigil only trapped it, then how did Mary and her son's souls get out of the nest?"</p><p>"Maybe the trap forced their souls out?" Sam suggested. "I don't know. You know, there's gotta be more to this."</p><p>Sam sat down to do more research and Angela sat on his lap before taking a sip of his drink.</p><p>"You know, it's too bad Bobby and Rufus aren't around to see this stuff," Sam commented sadly. "They'd have been great Men of Letters."</p><p>"Yeah, grumpy old Men of Letters, but yeah." Dean scoffed.</p><p>"Wait a second. Check this out." Sam waved Dean over. "Looks like the Men of Letters found a way to kill Soul Eaters."</p><p>"Awesome, how?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Well, it looks like it's another sigil, more complicated, uh… made from blood," Sam explained. "You cut your hand and you paint this bad boy inside the house, while the same thing is painted… inside the nest."</p><p>"Which means one of us has to go in there," Angela noted.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded.</p><p>"Not it," Dean said quickly.</p><p>"Dude." Sam rolled his eyes.</p><p>Dean just shrugged silently. Sam gave him a look and then held up his hands for a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.</p><p>"Ah, ah, no." Angela stopped her husband. "We're not settling it like that. Dean always complains when he loses."</p><p>"Hey!" Dean practically whined.</p><p>"Shush." Angela retorted. "I'll go into the nest."</p><p>"Baby, no." Sam shook his head.</p><p>"Oh, Sammy, you know there's no point in arguing." Angela pecked his lips. "I'm going in, and that's final."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The three hunters walked into the kitchen.</p><p>"Alright, Dean and I will paint here," Sam pointed to the wall. "So, you…" he trailed off as they walked through the door to the next room. "Paint yours here. Now, your sigil sets the table, ours actually kills it."</p><p>"Alright, you got your blood?" Angela asked.</p><p>"Right here." Dean held up a jar full of blood.</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela stilled as they heard footsteps.</p><p>"Alright, let's do this," Angela muttered.</p><p>"I love you," Sam leaned down and kissed Angela deeply. "You come back to me, got it?"</p><p>"I always do. I love you, too, Sammy." Angela smiled softly.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>As Angela was investigating upstairs, the lights suddenly went out, and Angela pulled out a flashlight. She wandered around the dark room as the footsteps got closer.</p><p>"Come and get me you son of a bitch," Angela muttered.</p><p>Out of nowhere, she was knocked down onto the floor and dragged into the nest.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Safe House Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Angela grunted as she opened her eyes and stood up, taking in her surroundings. She was apparently alone, in the nest that looked exactly like the house.</p><p>"Dean? Sam?" Angela called out as she walked to a door. "Baby—</p><p>Angela pushed the door open and on the floor, she saw Sam and Dean, dead. Startled and unnerved, she closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them, the brothers were gone. Angela took a deep breath and tried to reassure herself.</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam carried Angela's unconscious body into the kitchen and propped her up against the refrigerator as Dean started painting the sigil.</p><p>"I got you, baby. Stay with me." Sam murmured before going to help Dean. "Okay. I'm getting too old for this."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>On the other side of the wall in the nest, Angela started to paint her sigil, when suddenly, she heard a voice.</p><p>"What are you doing?" Kat asked curiously.</p><p>Angela turned around to face the little girl. "It's Kat, right?"</p><p>The little girl just nodded.</p><p>"It's nice to meet you, Kat." Angela smiled softly. "I have a daughter who's a few years younger than you are."</p><p>"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," Kat replied.</p><p>"And that is a solid rule. I teach my daughter the same thing." Angela agreed. "My name's Angela Winchester, but you can call me Angie. See, sweetheart? Now I'm not a stranger. I'm here to get you out of this place. Have you seen your mom?"</p><p>Kat shook her head. "I can't see her. It's too crowded in here now."</p><p>A group of faceless, staring people with darkness around their eyes and mouths were crowded around Angela and Kat. However, Angela couldn't see them.</p><p>"I don't see anybody…"</p><p>"You'll see them soon," Kat replied ominously.</p><p>Angela nodded. "How about we get you out of here instead?"</p><p>Kat just nodded, walking closer to Angela.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela painted the sigil as Kat watched.</p><p>"It's pretty." Kat complemented.</p><p>"Thanks." Angela smiled softly at the girl.</p><p>"I don't like it here."</p><p>"Yeah, me neither." Angela agreed. "And my husband and brother-in-law, they're making a painting just like this one, and when they're done, we're outta here. Okay?" she assured. "Come on, boys, the table's set, let's do this."</p><p>"There's more of them now," Kat commented.</p><p>Angela looked at her, and then looked behind them. She could now see the group of people crowded around. Suddenly, the Soul Eater emerged through them and placed its hand on Angela's chest, causing her to collapse.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela's body twitched a bit. The brothers, busy with painting the sigil, didn't notice until the Soul Eater, possessing Angela, was right behind them, eyes clouded over.</p><p>"Angie?" Sam's eyes widened.</p><p>"I can't let you finish that finger painting, boy." The Soul Eater chastised.</p><p>The Soul Eater punched Sam in the face, knocking him to the floor. Dean lunged at the Soul Eater, but it threw him across the room, causing him to the wall hard.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The Soul Eater shoved Sam across the room.</p><p>"Just come with me." The Soul Eater cooed. "Into the Nest. I can keep you safe. From the Darkness."</p><p>"Angie, baby, please stop." Sam pleaded. "I know you're in there, fight this!"</p><p>Dean came up behind the Soul Eater, but it turned around swiftly and punched Dean square in the head, knocking him out.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The Soul Eater and Sam fought brutally, throwing punches at each other. Sam threw the Soul Eater against the kitchen cabinets, and it turned around with a knife in its hand.</p><p>"Angie! Stop this!" Sam yelled.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"You know your wife wants to go to the Darkness," the Soul Eater started. "She needs to go. But I can keep you safe. All of you. Forever."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The Soul Eater and Sam continued fighting, and Sam managed to knock the knife out of the Soul Eater's hand. Once Dean regained consciousness, he lunged at the Soul Eater and rolled it across the dining room table and onto the floor. Then, Sam grabbed a chair and smashed it on top of the Soul Eater, who didn't immediately get up.</p><p>"Sammy, now!" Dean yelled.</p><p>Sam rushed over to the wall to finish painting sigil while Dean and the Soul Eater continued fighting. Sam managed to connect the last of the lines, completing the sigil. Angela's body went rigid as the Soul Eater died and left her body. Once it was gone, Angela's body fell and Dean swiftly caught her.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela opened her eyes and got to her feet. Around her, the people in the nest started disappearing. Kat and Naoki stood nearby, watching Angela.</p><p>"They're leaving." Kat grinned.</p><p>Angela wandered into the hallway. As more people disappeared, she looked up the stairs and saw Bobby standing there, staring at her in shock. As the stared at each other, Bobby faded away. Seconds later, Angela vanished as well.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean gently propped Angela against the fridge as she started to come to.</p><p>"Hey, hey," Sam knelt down in front of his wife.</p><p>"You good, kiddo?" Dean asked concernedly.</p><p>Angela just looked up at the brothers silently.</p><p>Sam hugged Angela tightly, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "I got you, baby, I got you."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela were still in the house. Sam had an arm wrapped around Angela's waist as he spoke to Naoki on the phone.</p><p><em>"Yeah, I still don't understand what the hell just happened."</em> Naoki's voice rang through.</p><p>"All you need to know is that your house is safe now," Sam assured. "Kitchen may need a remodel, though."</p><p><em>"Mmm, that's okay, I think we're selling,"</em> Naoki replied.</p><p>"Fair enough." Sam agreed. "Well, take care of yourself."</p><p>
  <em>"Thank you. For everything."</em>
</p><p>The line went dead and the three hunters walked outside.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela exited the house, waving to the neighbor. The woman just shot them a dirty look.</p><p>"Okay." Sam scoffed. "You know, Bobby's journal never mentioning going into the nest, it didn't say anything actually. You think it really was him, or…?"</p><p>"I dunno." Angela shrugged. "Maybe it's like you said before. That Bobby and Rufus's trap sigil forced their souls outta the nest back them. And that the Soul Eater was just making me see things. However, if Bobby did go into the nest back then, and the nest exists outside of space and time, then… well, theoretically, couldn't he and I have been there at the same time? Right?"</p><p>"My head hurts." Sam chuckled.</p><p>"Let's get drunk and not think about this ever again," Dean added.</p><p>"First we gotta stop in Tennessee, though." Sam reminded. "Bobby's old Soul Eater case. He wouldn't want any unfinished business on the books."</p><p>"Fine." Dean huffed.</p><p>"This time, one of you guys are going into the nest," Angela muttered as they got into the car.</p><p>"Hey, baby, you said the Soul Eater made you see 'things.' Plural," Sam noted. "So… what else did you see?"</p><p>Angela rested her head on Sam's shoulder. "I saw you boys. Dead on the floor."</p><p>"Hmm." Sam hummed.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"How messed up are our lives that you seeing a version of dead me and Dean is actually kind of comforting?" Sam asked.</p><p>"Yeah," Angela muttered.</p><p>Dean started the engine and the Impala sped away, leaving the neighborhood behind.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Red Meat Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Grangeville, Idaho</em>
</p><p>Inside a lonely cabin in the woods, Sam was heavily thrown onto a table, smashing it to pieces. A man stood above him, growling and baring his teeth. Sam aimed his gun, but the werewolf kicked it out of his hand and then tried to slam his boot on Sam's chest. Just in time, Sam rolled out of harm's way.</p><p>Meanwhile, Dean and Angela were engaged in their own fights. Angela lunged at the second werewolf but was swiftly thrown across the room. The second werewolf took a swing at Dean and he managed to duck out of the way. Dean lunged at the monster with a knife but the werewolf grabbed his arm.</p><p>Sam narrowly avoided another attempt at a boot on his chest, grabbing hold of the werewolf's foot and pushing him off balance.</p><p>Dean got hit in the face but followed with a punch of his own, grunting at the exertion of it. Angela lunged at the first werewolf with her knife at the ready but was thrown into a nearby cabinet.</p><p>The second werewolf bared his teeth again, challenging Sam to take him on. Sam gripped his silver blade, ready to lunge. He took his shot but missed. In the other room, there were two people strung up, a man and a woman.</p><p>Sam kicked the werewolf in the chest and the other one grabbed Dean by the throat. However, Dean managed to shove the creature away and the werewolf retaliated by barreling Dean into a glass cabinet.</p><p>The three hunters continued to trade blows with the werewolves. Sam shoved his opponent to the ground but the werewolf bounced back up, rounding on Sam again.</p><p>The other werewolf grabbed Angela and slammed her into the wall, disorienting her. Dean tackled the werewolf and landed a few punches, slowly getting the upper hand. Meanwhile, Sam headbutted the other werewolf, stunning him. Dean landed a heavy punch and the second werewolf fell to the ground. Sam stabbed at the other werewolf, finally hitting the mark, and instantly killing the werewolf.</p><p>However, while the second werewolf was still on the ground, he grabbed Sam's dropped gun. He aimed at Sam while Dean was distracted with picking up his knife and Angela reoriented herself. The gun fired before the three hunters could do anything; the bullet hitting Sam in the stomach. He fell to his knees as Angela tackled the werewolf and Dean killed the creature.</p><p>Dean looked back at Sam, horrified, watching his brother fall to the ground. Angela rushed over to her husband, trying to stop the blood oozing from his stomach.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas, 48 Hours Earlier</em>
</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela were in the bunker, all of them doing research in the library. Grace sat nearby, playing with her blocks.</p><p>"How's it going, kiddo?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Same," Angela mumbled.</p><p>"Hmm." Sam hummed.</p><p>"What about you guys? Anything?" Angela asked hopefully.</p><p>"Nothing," Dean grumbled.</p><p>"I… I think I got something."</p><p>"Yeah?" Angela perked up slightly. "On Amara, Lucifer, Hand of God?"</p><p>"No, no, it's a… it's a case. Werewolves, looks like." Sam explained. "Um… a pattern of missing campers… five in the last three months."</p><p>"So, they got lost." Angela retorted, clearly frustrated.</p><p>"Well, that's what the rangers thought, too, until a couple days ago, when they found a body…"</p><p>"Let me guess… minus a heart?" Dean quirked a brow.</p><p>"Yeah," Sam confirmed. "Now, they're calling it an animal attack, but—</p><p>"All right, well, we make a call and we put somebody on it." Angela cut him off.</p><p>"Yeah, but…" Sam sighed, closing his laptop. "Baby, we'll get him back."</p><p>"How?" Angela demanded.</p><p>"I… I don't know," Sam admitted. "But we'll figure it out. Meantime, we got to get out of here. Clear our heads. I mean, this is a case. Let's do what we do. Let's work it."</p><p>"Sammy's right, kiddo." Dean pursed his lips. "We've been looking at the same stuff for days."</p><p>Angela sighed heavily and ran her hands over her face. "I'll call Jody."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Grangeville, Idaho, Present Day</em>
</p><p>Sam clutched his stomach as he writhed and groaned in pain. The captured woman was also in pain, groaning. Her partner was awake and panicked, but unable to do anything while still tied up.</p><p>"Baby, you still with me?" Corbin asked worriedly.</p><p>Dean grabbed the first-aid kit before running over to Sam and Angela.</p><p>"Dean, why don't you go help them?" Angela nodded to the couple. "I got this. All right, baby, listen, we got to get that bullet out there, okay? I'm sorry, it's gonna hurt like hell."</p><p>Sam groaned in resignation. "Oh, yeah."</p><p>Angela gave Sam a bandage to use as a bit in his mouth. "There you go, baby."</p><p>Sam looked faint, groaning as he steeled himself against the pain while Angela dug into the wound for the bullet.</p><p>"Okay, okay. All right. Almost got it, baby." She comforted.</p><p>Sam shook and writhed in pain. Angela closed her eyes, trying to block out Sam's distress as she dug deeper into Sam's wound.</p><p>"Right there. Come on, come on! Okay, there we go. There we go." She muttered as she took out the bullet. "Look at that, huh? You did so well, baby."</p><p>Meanwhile, Dean rushed over to the couple and Corbin nodded to one of the werewolves.</p><p>"The one he killed, he's got the key."</p><p>"Good. Okay." Dean ran to retrieve the key.</p><p>Angela was bandaging up Sam's wound, trying to stop the blood flow.</p><p>"W-what were they?" Michelle mumbled weakly.</p><p>"Werewolves," Dean answered.</p><p>"Told you they were monsters"</p><p>"That's right, baby. You called it." Corbin nodded.</p><p>"We've been here for days." Michelle whimpered as Dean unlocked her handcuffs. "These guys, they can change any time."</p><p>"Yeah," Dean nodded as he moved to free Corbin. "That's 'cause they were probably purebloods. And they can change at any time. Any time they want. Those wrists… those wrists are infected. We got to get something on them, okay?"</p><p>"Okay." Corbin nodded.</p><p>Dean rushed back to Sam and Angela. Sam groaned as Angela continued applying pressure.</p><p>"How we doing? How we doing, huh? You good, you good?"</p><p>"Yeah." Sam panted.</p><p>"All right. Angie's taking good care of you, Sammy. You're gonna be fine." Dean assured as he handed bandages to Corbin. "Here you go. Wrap those up. Is there a landline in here?"</p><p>Corbin's brows furrowed. "You don't have a cell phone."</p><p>"There's no service for miles," Angela replied.</p><p>"I had a signal at the car a couple miles back," Dean recalled, turning his attention to Sam and Angela. "Okay, listen to me. I'm gonna go for a signal, okay? We're gonna get you to a real doctor. You're gonna be just fine."</p><p>"Yeah, no, I know." Sam breathed out.</p><p>"I got this, Dean," Angela promised.</p><p>"Okay." Dean stood up.</p><p>"You and me, hitching the national parks," Corbin muttered as he bandaged up Michelle's wrists. "Best honeymoon ever, right?"</p><p>"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. "I thought yesterday—</p><p>"Just a couple of scratches," Corbin replied as he noticed Dean leaving. "Hey, we're coming!"</p><p>"No, no, no, no, no," Dean replied firmly.</p><p>"Oh, no, we can't stay here," Corbin stressed. "Not with the others still out there."</p><p>"Others?" Sam and Angela asked.</p><p>"Okay, listen, my brother's been shot—</p><p>"Yeah, I'm fine," Sam grunted. "Baby, help me up."</p><p>"Sam, hey." Angela frowned as she helped Sam stand up.</p><p>"I'm fine, baby." He assured weakly.</p><p>"Hey, hey, hey, let me help." Dean rushed to Sam's other side to take on some of his weight. "Yeah, right there. Okay, guess we're going. Let's go. Go."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Grangeville, Idaho, 24 Hours Earlier</em>
</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela, dressed in the FBI apparel, were talking to the bartender.</p><p>"You know," Rose started as she stared at the missing persons poster. "I used to be good with faces, but it's my age and the number of folks that come through this place. I seem to have lost the knack, so… These days, everybody under 40 looks the same to me. I'm sorry."</p><p>Angela scowled and hung her head, clearly frustrated.</p><p>"All right look…" Sam muttered once the bartender walked away. "We know we're in the right place. We've tried all the big landmarks outside of the park, the police station, the—the—the fleabag motel we're staying at, this bar."</p><p>"Yeah, well, we're running out of things to interrogate," Angela grumbled. "Unless you want to go outside, start talking to the trees."</p><p>"Right." Sam pursed his lips. "All right, let's call it a night."</p><p>"Can we grab the check, sweetheart?" Dean called out to the bartender.</p><p>"You know, we can go to Park Services in the morning, talk to the rangers," Sam suggested.</p><p>"You know what I was thinking?" Rose asked. "You three should check out one of the easement cabins. It's private property within the park. It's just held onto for tax purposes, so campers stumble on them and they can hole up there for weeks. Some of your missing could be in one of them."</p><p>"Do you mind showing us about where they are?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Oh, yeah, sure. Right about there." Rose pointed to the location on Sam's map.</p><p>"Well, that is a big help. That's great. Thank you." Sam replied sincerely.</p><p>"No problem."</p><p>"Thanks." Dean and Angela told Rose.</p><p>The three hunters left the bar. A big man stood in the doorway, arms crossed, and a sullen look on his face. He watched them leave, and then looked at Rose. Outside, Sam, Dean, and Angela got into the Impala.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Grangeville, Idaho, Present Day</em>
</p><p>Corbin and Michelle were walking ahead of Sam, Dean, and Angela.</p><p>"Careful," Corbin muttered as Michelle stumbled.</p><p>"Anything?" Sam grunted at Dean.</p><p>Dean held his phone up in the air, only to hear it beeping. "No, nothing yet. The sun's gonna be up pretty soon."</p><p>Sam doubled over in pain, panting as he held his wound.</p><p>"Hey. Hey, hey, hey, hey. Come on. Okay." Dean muttered concernedly.</p><p>"We got you, baby. We got you." Angela assured.</p><p>"Dean, I told you that roadhouse chili was a bad idea," Sam grunted, still doubled over in pain.</p><p>"Yeah." Dean breathed out a laugh.</p><p>"Guys, over here!" Corbin called out.</p><p>Dean shined a flashlight through the woods, and they saw another cabin.</p><p>"Hey, look at that." Dean looked at Sam.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean opened the door to the cabin and shined his flashlight inside, making sure the place was empty. Angela helped get Sam inside while Corbin and Michelle followed.</p><p>"Okay. All right, see if you can find a… a radio or a phone." Dean instructed.</p><p>"Alright, baby, let's get you to a chair, okay?" Angela murmured.</p><p>Angela helped Sam sit down in a nearby chair and she went to help Dean scope out the cabin. Dean quickly found and phone and tried it.</p><p>"Anything?" Sam asked, holding his stomach in pain.</p><p>"No, it's dead," Dean grumbled.</p><p>Dean sighed and slammed the phone down. Sam gasped in pain, watching as Dean and Angela searched through the various cupboards.</p><p>"I got some lanterns over here," Angela informed.</p><p>"I got matches," Dean replied. "Let's light these up."</p><p>Sam continued to breathe heavily, obviously in severe pain. Dean looked over at his brother in concern.</p><p>"Okay?"</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded weakly.</p><p>Angela took one lantern and set it on the coffee table, close to where Sam sat. Dean used the other lantern as he searched the rest of the cabin.</p><p>"It's gonna be okay, baby, I promise." Angela took one of Sam's hands in hers.</p><p>"Hey," Corbin rushed over to Dean. "Hey, we got to keep moving." He muttered, risking a glance at Sam. "Those of us who… who can."</p><p>Dean stood up and looked at Corbin angrily. "What did you say?"</p><p>"I… look, hey, Michelle's real sick, but she's got a chance." Corbin reasoned. "Him… he's slowing us down. And if they find us—</p><p>"Hey, that's my husband you're talking about!" Angela snapped.</p><p>"We saved you, okay? We saved both of you." Dean reminded Corbin.</p><p>"It's four lives against once." He retorted.</p><p>Dean shoved Corbin harshly, pointing a finger at him. Corbin immediately put his hands up in defense.</p><p>"Whoa, hey!"</p><p>"Dean, stop!" Sam grunted. "Dean… he's right. You guys need to—to go. Go find help, come back for me."</p><p>"Sammy, no, we are not leaving you," Angela replied firmly. "Dean and I, we'll go outside, find some wood."</p><p>"Yeah," Dean agreed. "We'll build you a litter, Sammy," he added before turning to Corbin. "And we are going to carry him the rest of the way."</p><p>Dean glared icily at Corbin and then they both looked at Michelle, who was whimpering in her sleep. Dean looked at Sam, anxiety written across his face.</p><p>"It's only a couple of miles," Dean added desperately.</p><p>"We'll be back soon, baby." Angela pressed a soft kiss to his lips.</p><p>Angela and Dean went outside, slamming the door behind them. Corbin just turned to look at Sam.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Angela were collecting branches to make a litter for Sam, working by torchlight. Dean was urgently piling up the wood when his jacket got caught on a tree and he swung wildly at it; hitting the tree with another branch.</p><p>"Get off me!" Dean yelled.</p><p>Dean paused, fear and desperation written across his face, tears welling up in his eyes. Angela turned and rushed over to her brother-in-law, hugging him tightly.</p><p>"It's gonna be okay, Dean. Sammy's gonna be okay." She whispered.</p><p>Dean nodded and hugged Angela back, taking a deep breath. "Okay. Okay. Okay. Let's get back to work, kiddo."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam sat in his chair, clutching his stomach as he groaned deeply in pain. Perspiration covered his face and he coughed weakly.</p><p>"Guys? Guys?" Sam called out, a twinge of fear in his voice. "Go find Dean and Angie. Get out of here."</p><p>Corbin walked over and looked down at Sam.</p><p>"Hey, please. Go. You got to go." Sam stressed.</p><p>Corbin crouched down next to the chair so that he was eye-level with Sam, glancing toward Michelle as he did so. There was a look of desperation on his face.</p><p>"They won't leave you. And we won't last out there without them."</p><p>"Wait, what?" Sam asked uncertainly.</p><p>Corbin stood up and lunged for Sam, just as he realized what was about to happen. Corbin placed his hand over Sam's mouth, desperately trying to smother him. Sam struggled wildly but was too weak to push Corbin off. Michelle woke up slowly and heard Sam's muffled cries.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Outside, Dean and Angela continued to make the litter, oblivious to what was happening inside. Angela heard and truck and nudged Dean to get his attention. They noticed the headlights in the distance and Dean hid the torch from view. The two of them waited for a moment before heading toward the cabin.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Inside, Corbin was still hovering over Sam, holding him down as he covered his mouth. Sam continued to fight, squirming and struggling. Suddenly, Sam got a glimpse of Corbin's arm and his eyes widened as he realized that Corbin had been bitten by one of the werewolves. Corbin used his other hand to pinch Sam's nose and Sam could no longer breathe. His eyes widened in terror; his body thrashed in vain.</p><p>"I'm sorry." Corbin breathed out.</p><p>Sam tried weakly to hit Corbin's arm, but it was hopeless. He fell into unconsciousness and Corbin frantically felt Sam's neck, trying to find a pulse.</p><p>Michelle walked over weakly. "Corbin? Is—is he…"</p><p>"Dead." Corbin murmured.</p><p>Michelle looked at Corbin, the desperation still etched on his face. Moments later, the door opened, and Dean and Angela entered the cabin.</p><p>"We got to," Dean started when he noticed Sam lying motionless on the floor. "Sam? Sammy?"</p><p>"Oh, God." Angela cried.</p><p>Dean and Angela rushed to Sam's side. Dean looked at him in confusion and Angela felt for a pulse.</p><p>"What happened?" Angela demanded.</p><p>"I—I—I don't know. He just went." Corbin lied.</p><p>"No." Dean murmured. "Sammy?" he gently shook Sam's body; grief-stricken.</p><p>"Sammy," Angela's voice cracked as she gently cupped his face in her hands. "Oh, baby."</p><p>Suddenly, the could all hear the sound of a vehicle approaching.</p><p>"No, no, no." Michelle sobbed.</p><p>Corbin hugged Michelle tightly. "It's them."</p><p>"Let 'em come," Dean replied coldly as he pulled out a silver knife.</p><p>"No. What?" Michelle gasped.</p><p>"They want to stay," Corbin muttered.</p><p>"No, you can't!" Michelle cried desperately.</p><p>"Hey, hey, you stay, you fight, you die. And so do we." Corbin stressed. "Look… he's gone. I'm sorry, but he's gone. Help us. Please."</p><p>Dean and Angela looked up at the couple, their eyes brimming with tears. Corbin and Michelle looked desperate and afraid, and the hunters knew that they had to save him.</p><p>Dean looked at Sam and swallowed sadly. "We're gonna come back for you, okay? We promise."</p><p>"I love you, baby. I love you so much." Angela kissed her husband's forehead. "Okay. Okay."</p><p>"Let's go," Dean muttered as he helped Angela up.</p><p>Dean opened the door and Corbin and Michelle went outside. Meanwhile, Dean and Angela stood in the doorway, looking back at Sam's body. A single tear slipped down Dean's face and Angela let out a choked sob.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>As they made their escape through the woods, the truck pulled up to the cabin.</p><p>"Dammit." Rose gasped as she noticed them getting away.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Red Meat Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Grangeville, Idaho, 24 Hours Earlier</em>
</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela had parked the Impala in the woods and were getting prepared to look for the cabins.</p><p>"All right, so, I think if we head in that way, should be about a four-mile trek to the cabin," Sam explained as he looked at his map. "You know, we always talk about taking a break, going camping. This could be like camping. It could be fun."</p><p>"Yeah, which part?" Dean asked grumpily. "Hmm? Freezing our nuts off in the middle of the woods on a thin lead?"</p><p>"Yeah, that part." Sam laughed. "Oh, come on."</p><p>"My dad took me camping one time," Angela recalled as she held Sam's hand. "It sucked."</p><p>"Come on, baby," Sam smirked. "I'll make it worth your while."</p><p>"You better." Angela retorted.</p><p>The three hunters headed off on the trail, their flashlights beaming into the woods.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Grangeville, Idaho, Present Day</em>
</p><p>It was early that morning, and Dean, Angela, Corbin, and Michelle were still walking through the woods. Dean and Angela were slightly ahead of the couple.</p><p>"Hey, what happened back there?" Michelle asked softly.</p><p>Meanwhile, Dean and Angela were trying to get a signal on their cell phones, but they weren't having any luck.</p><p>"Talk to me," Michelle begged Corbin.</p><p>"I saved us." He answered. "Look, you're hurt bad and… and I love you, Michelle. I can't lose you."</p><p>"You took away that woman's husband. They saved us and you took her husband from her." Michelle whispered.</p><p>"I did what I had to do." Corbin retorted firmly.</p><p>Finally, they reached a road and Dean saw a vehicle driving past.</p><p>"Oh, whoa, whoa! Hey! Hey! Wait!" Dean yelled.</p><p>The car kept going, but Angela spotted another vehicle.</p><p>"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Right here, right here!" she called out.</p><p>"Okay," Dean turned to Corbin and Michelle. "Come on, guys. Okay, here we go."</p><p>"Geez," the sheriff started as he walked toward the group. "Come on. What'd you all get into?"</p><p>"She needs medical attention right away." Angela pointed to Michelle.</p><p>"Hey, hold up," the sheriff tried to stop Angela and Dean.</p><p>"No, no, just take care of them," Dean replied. "We got to get back to my car, back to my brother."</p><p>"Hey, first, everyone is gonna settle down and tell me what the hell is going on." The sheriff ordered.</p><p>"Officer, we don't have time!" Angela stressed.</p><p>She and Dean turned to walk away.</p><p>"Hey, hey, hey! You'll make time."</p><p>The sheriff grabbed Angela by the shoulder, but she punched him square in the face. She turned to keep walking with Dean, but they were both tasered by the sheriff. The hunters fell to the ground, unconscious.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sometime later, Dean woke up in the hospital, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw Angela awake in the bed next to him. Dean groaned and looked around, trying to get his bearings.</p><p>"Don't try to move if you can help it," Dr. Kessler started. "You got a couple broken ribs I haven't tended to yet. That… and what is probably…" she flashed a light into his eyes. "A nasty concussion, like your friend."</p><p>Dean tried to sit up, groaning again.</p><p>"Hey, do us both a favor. Get some rest." Dr. Kessler instructed.</p><p>"Mm," Dean grunted.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela was helping Dean get out of bed when they saw Michelle standing in the doorway. She had stitches on her face, bandages on wrists, and other cuts and bruises. She also had an IV drip.</p><p>"Hi." She smiled weakly.</p><p>"Hey," Dean muttered.</p><p>"Hi," Angela replied.</p><p>"Can…can I…" Michelle motioned to ask if she could come into the room.</p><p>"Sure." Angela nodded.</p><p>"I… I just wanted to see how the two of you were doing," she started as she walked toward them. "And to tell you th…" her voice shook with emotion. "I'm sorry. You saved our lives, and… well, my mom used to say, um… I didn't believe her then, but I—I think I do now. She used to say… death—it's not the end."</p><p>Dean looked at Michelle and nodded while realization dawned on Angela's face.</p><p>"I have an idea…" she murmured.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela, Dean, and Michelle rushed into the hospital dispensary.</p><p>"Angela?" Michelle asked worriedly.</p><p>"Kid, whatever you're planning—</p><p>"I need to—I need to talk to a… well, I wouldn't call it a friend, more like a… scary, crazy death machine," Angela muttered as she looked around. "Werewolves aren't the only monsters out there."</p><p>Angela grabbed an oxygen cylinder to break open a lock on one of the cabinets and she turned to Dean.</p><p>"I'm gonna talk to Billie."</p><p>"What?!" Dean's brows furrowed. "Angie, no, w-we'll find a different way."</p><p>"Dean, we don't know if there's another way!"</p><p>"How exactly do you talk to an evil, scary death machine?" Michelle interjected.</p><p>"Easy. I die." Angela shrugged.</p><p>"What?" Michelle's eyes almost bugged out of her head.</p><p>"Look," Angela sighed heavily. "If you don't… If you want to leave, I get it. But if you want to help me… I'm looking for pretty much anything with 'barbital' in the name."</p><p>"Yeah." Michelle nodded. "This will work?"</p><p>"It has to." Angela breathed out.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>There was blood all over Sam's body. Suddenly, his eyes bolted open and he gasped loudly, sucking oxygen into his lungs. He coughed and groaned, then looked around the room.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela spilled two types of pills onto the table and shoveled a pile of them into her hand before turning to look up at Dean.</p><p>"Dean, you know what to do," she started. "Go get the doc and tell her to, um… tell her to bring me back, if she can. If not… no hard feelings, okay?"</p><p>"Kid, please, just think about this for a minute," Dean begged his sister-in-law.</p><p>Michelle grabbed Angela's hand. "You don't have to do this."</p><p>"Yeah, I do. He's my husband. I have to at least try to get him back." Angela's voice cracked.</p><p>She threw back the pills and took a swig of her drink to swallow them.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam groaned as he touched the wound in his stomach and saw how much blood he had lost. His head fell back to the ground and he gasped in pain. He panted, steeling himself to sit up. He struggled to reach the counter and pull himself up, but eventually managed it. Sam leaned against the counter and looked around the room.</p><p>"Dean? Angie?"</p><p>The pain his Sam again, forcing him to double over. He screamed out and fell to his knees, gasping. Then he heard a vehicle approaching and was immediately on high alert. He crawled painstakingly to the window and saw a pickup truck approaching.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela leaned against the table waiting for the pills to take effect.</p><p>"How do you feel?" Michelle asked gently.</p><p>Angela was starting to look ill but was still standing.</p><p>"Kiddo?" Dean frowned in concern. "You feeling okay?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam stumbled down the stairs into the basement, trying to hide. He fell heavily down the stairs, crying out in pain.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela collapsed quickly and Dean caught her swiftly so she wouldn't hit her head.</p><p>"Angie!" Dean yelled. "Michelle, get the doctor!"</p><p>Michelle nodded and rushed out to get help while Dean gently lied Angela on the ground.</p><p>"Dammit, kid." He muttered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam gingerly checked his stomach; his hands were covered in blood as it gushed out of the wound. He groaned loudly, the pain extremely severe. He attempted to get up but was too stunned and out of breath, so he fell back, lying on the ground.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela was still lying motionless on the ground and Dean kneeled beside her. Michelle and Dr. Kessler rushed into the room.</p><p>"In here," Michelle said.</p><p>"What did she take?" Dr. Kessler questioned as she felt for a pulse.</p><p>"Over there," Dean nodded to the empty pill bottles.</p><p>"Dammit." Dr. Kessler muttered before looking at Michelle. "Uh, grab me naloxone. It's the little bottle, middle shelf, and a bag of saline. We need to run a line. Dammit."</p><p>As Michelle and Dr. Kessler grabbed the items they needed, Angela began to shake violently and foam at the mouth. Dean immediately went to hold her down.</p><p>"Keep holding her down!" Dr. Kessler ordered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>In the basement, Sam stumbled and almost fell, and then he heard the floorboards creaking above. He looked up as dust fell from the ceiling onto his face. After a few moments, Sam heard the footsteps head toward his direction and he looked frantically around for somewhere to hide.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela thrashed violently on the floor, making gurgling noises as the froth continued to leak from her mouth. Dean and Dr. Kessler continued to hold her down as Michelle stood in fear.</p><p>"Help!" Michelle called out when she saw the sheriff.</p><p>"Holy hell." He ran in.</p><p>"Help us!" Dr. Kessler exclaimed.</p><p>Angela, removed from her body, watched as everyone tried to help her. "Come on, Dean. Put me on my back. It's easier to find a vein."</p><p>"Roll her over!" Dean ordered.</p><p>Angela was choking while Dean and the sheriff held her down. Dr. Kessler was about to inject her with the naloxone when the entire event froze. Billie, the reaper sauntered into the room.</p><p>"Well, took you long enough," Angela noted.</p><p>"Angela Winchester," Billie smirked.</p><p>"What's with the freeze-frame?"</p><p>"Just savoring this." Billie chuckled. "Though, I have to say, of all the ways I thought you'd go… some fang, a werewolf… never took you for the suicide type. Doesn't fit your whole martyr thing. So… 'sup."</p><p>"We need to talk about Sam," Angela replied bluntly.</p><p>"What about Sam?"</p><p>"I need him back."</p><p>"Back?" Billie quirked a brow.</p><p>"Stop playing." Angela scoffed. "Look, you've got him, I need him. Let's make a deal."</p><p>"Pass." Billie turned to leave.</p><p>"Really? Just like that?"</p><p>"Just like that." Billie nodded.</p><p>"You know, the Darkness is out there… and the world is gonna burn." Angela reminded. "And once she gets started, that's the end of everything, including you. Now, Sam's the only one who can stop it."</p><p>"Hmm," Billie hummed. "How's that?"</p><p>Angela paused, clearly at a loss for words.</p><p>"That's what a thought." Billie snorted. "It's cute, though. You pretending you're trying to save Sam for the greater good, when we both know you're doing it for you. You can't lose him. But even if Sammy could win the title bout… the answer would still be 'no.' The answer will always be 'no.' Game's over, Angela. No more second chances. No more extra lives."</p><p>Angela looked at Billie with sadness and desperation clear in her eyes. "I'm asking you… I'm <em>begging</em> you, please. Bring him back. Bring him back and take me instead."</p><p>"I'm not here to bargain with you, kid. I'm here to reap you. And the kicker is… Sam's not dead." Billie informed, stunning Angela. "But you are. Or will be, soon enough."</p><p>Billie snapped her fingers, unfreezing the moment. Angela turned to watch, as Dr. Kessler tried to save her.</p><p>"Pulse is fading. Throw me that cardio tray."</p><p>"Come on, kid, stay with us." Dean pleaded.</p><p>Angela turned back to Billie, confused. "But how?"</p><p>"Trust me. If the big 'W' bit it, I'd get a call." Billie scoffed as she outstretched her hand. "Come along now, Angela. It's time. The empty… it's waiting."</p><p>Dr. Kessler stabbed Angela in the chest with the injection and Angela gasped as she regained consciousness.</p><p>"Turn her on her side!"</p><p>"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Okay." The sheriff did as he was told.</p><p>Angela vomited, continuing to cough and splutter as Billie disappeared into a white light.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam managed to sneak up behind the werewolf, thrusting his knife into the creature's heart. The werewolf cried out and Sam used all his strength to pull the knife out, breathing heavily with the exertion. Sam looked up as Rose sauntered down the stairs and they fought for a few moments.</p><p>However, Sam managed to stab her fatally and her body fell to the ground. He snaked her car keys and painfully pulled himself up the stairs.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Dr. Kessler helped Angela to her feet, while Michelle and the sheriff looked on.</p><p>"He's alive." Angela gasped.</p><p>"He? Sam?" Michelle asked.</p><p>"Angie, how d'you know?" Dean's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Oh, thank God." Michelle breathed out.</p><p>"Billie told me." Angela looked up at Dean. "Sammy, he's alive."</p><p>Dean looked to the sheriff and Dr. Kessler. "We need a car. Now."</p><p>"No. She's not going anywhere." The sheriff grabbed Angela to handcuff her hands behind her back. "Hey, look, sweetheart, I got you for stealing and consuming a felony's worth of Schedule IV drugs, plus assaulting a police officer. You ain't going nowhere." He scoffed before turning to Dr. Kessler. "Sedate her."</p><p>Dr. Kessler's eyes widened. "No."</p><p>The sheriff pursed his lips. "Can we have a word outside, please?"</p><p>Angela sighed and looked at Dean, who nodded. He waited for the door to close before taking out his lock-picking kit.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam drove the truck to the edge of the forest. He shut the engine off, opened the door, and got out of the truck, falling to his knees in the process. He grabbed hold of his wound and groaned before slamming the door to the truck shut. Sam pulled himself up and stumbled toward the Impala. He ran his hand across the top of the car, and he fell heavily against the door, leaning into the Impala. His relief was palpable, a hint of a smile on his face. Sam searched for his cell phone and checked the signal, laughing when he saw he had one.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Angela walked out of the hospital. Angela pulled out her phone and looked at it when it started ringing, her eyes lighting up at the caller ID.</p><p>"Sammy?" she answered as she put the phone on speaker.</p><p><em>"Angie, yeah."</em> Sam's voice rang through.</p><p>"Oh, God." Angela breathed out in relief.</p><p>"Sammy, what happened?" Dean asked concernedly.</p><p>
  <em>"Where are you guys?"</em>
</p><p>"We're, uh, at the Urgent Care on 54," Dean answered.</p><p>Angela and Dean heard static on their end and Sam's voice was drowned out.</p><p>"Sammy?" Angela frowned. "Sam?!"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The cell phone cut out and started beeping. Sam looked at his phone, cursing in frustration before he opened the door to the Impala. He cried out in pain as he tried to maneuver his large frame into the small interior. He grunted and groaned in exertion, finally pulling himself in. He started the engine, the Impala roaring to life. Sam reached clumsily for the door, pulling it shut in a very awkward fashion, before driving off, in a desperate hurry to get to Dean and Angela.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean tackled Corbin from behind before he could attack Michelle, who screamed loudly. Angela rushed to Michelle and led her to safety.</p><p>Meanwhile, Dean turned Corbin over, but Corbin, now with extra strength, tossed Dean aside. He got on top of Dean and grabbed him in a chokehold, trying to strangle him. Animalistic noises were coming from Corbin's mouth as Dean struggled to breathe. Suddenly, a shot was fired. Corbin cried out and fell on top of Dean.</p><p>"No! No!" Michelle screamed, leaning into Angela's hold.</p><p>Sam stood in the corridor, gun raised, left arm protecting the wound on his stomach. Dean, now out of the chokehold, pushed Corbin's body away.</p><p>"It took you long enough." Dean sassed.</p><p>Sam grunted, his face screwed up in pain as he slumped rather ungracefully onto his ass. Dean sighed with relief now that the ordeal was over.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Michelle sat on one of the chairs in the corridor and Dean walked up to her, sitting down beside her.</p><p>"Hey."</p><p>"Hey," Michelle whispered.</p><p>"How you doing?" Dean asked gently.</p><p>Michelle didn't answer, struggling to hold back tears. "How's Sam?"</p><p>"The doc says that, um… well, when Corbin choked him, um, Sam's body went into shock and his breathing, his heartbeat slowed down to almost nothing," Dean explained. "So, he was, uh… he was just mostly dead. But he'll be okay. Angie hasn't left his side."</p><p>"Must be nice," Michelle muttered. "That wasn't… Corbin wasn't a killer."</p><p>"I know." Dean nodded.</p><p>"He did it for me." Michelle's voice cracked.</p><p>"Michelle, this is gonna be very hard. But you will be okay." Dean assured. "And, eventually… eventually, you'll get back to normal."</p><p>Michelle sighed heavily. "No, I won't." she murmured as tears started to spill. "They said I could leave… an hour ago. But… where am I even supposed to go? After everything we survived together… I watched the man I love die. There's no normal after that."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela walked out of the hospital. Angela held Sam's hand as they walked down the steps.</p><p>"So, that's it, huh?" Dean asked. "Two quarts of O-neg, and you're good to go."</p><p>Sam sighed as he walked gingerly down the steps. "How is she?"</p><p>"She's strong. She'll be all right."</p><p>"Those stitches gonna hold, baby?" Angela asked concernedly.</p><p>"Oh, yeah… uh, professional grade." Sam nodded. "Couple days of antibiotics and some bed rest, and I'm, uh, back to normal." He groaned as they all got into the Impala. "Hey, so, what did you guys do? When you thought I was dead? What did you do?"</p><p>"Thought about redecorating our room." Angela joked, earning a chuckle from her husband.</p><p>"Right, seriously." Sam pressed.</p><p>"What, I, uh… We knew you weren't dead." Angela shrugged.</p><p>"Right." Sam scoffed.</p><p>"We knew," Dean repeated as he started the engine.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Hell's Angel Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p><em>"Are you not hearing me?"</em> Crowley's voice rang through the phone. <em>"I said I have in my possession the solution to our collective problems. You should be doing a jig."</em></p><p>"I don't jig," Angela replied as she set a bowl of cereal down in front of Grace.</p><p>"Thank you, Mama." Grace smiled.</p><p>"Of course, sweetie." Angela smiled before returning to her phone call. "Now, how do I know you even escaped Lucifer and he's not making you say all this?"</p><p><em>"Honestly, your cynicism is depressing."</em> Crowley huffed. <em>"Why would Lucifer force me to discuss the very means of his destruction?"</em></p><p>"What are you talking about?" Angela's brows furrowed.</p><p><em>"A weapon… one that channels divinity. Yes, powerful enough to help destroy a force like the Darkness, or Lucifer."</em> Crowley explained. <em>"Tell me you haven't been searching for such a thing."</em></p><p>"A Hand of God? Of course, we have." Angela retorted.</p><p><em>"Thought as much. St. Louis. The old post office on Beekman."</em> Crowley instructed before hanging up.</p><p>"Crowley." Angela frowned as the phone beeped, signaling that the connection had been lost. "Sam! Dean!"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>St. Louis, Missouri</em>
</p><p>Dean, Sam, and Angela entered the abandoned warehouse. Angela carried Grace as they walked through the building. There were cobwebs everywhere, so thick that Sam got tangled and had to shake them off. Crowley was waiting inside.</p><p>"Nice digs," Dean started sarcastically. "The Crypt Keeper out of town?"</p><p>"I'm lucky to be alive." Crowley retorted. "Lucifer had me trussed up like a dog in my own palace."</p><p>"Palace?" Angela quirked a brow. "Oh, you mean the abandoned nuthouse."</p><p>"He kept me in a kennel!" Crowley cried indignantly and the three hunters just smiled, amused. "And he turned all his demons—<em>my demons</em>—against me. They scour the Earth, day and night, looking to kill me. He has to be dealt with."</p><p>"So, is this why you brought us here? Some lousy grudge match with Lucifer?" Dean scoffed.</p><p>"Yeah, where's this, uh, Hand of God you were talking about?" Sam added.</p><p>"I'm getting to that," Crowley assured. "Your only hope of subduing Amara is to match the level of power that she possesses."</p><p>"No kidding. And?" Angela questioned.</p><p>"And I have the Horn of Joshua."</p><p>"Joshua?" Sam repeated. "As in the Joshua that won the battle of Jericho?"</p><p>"And I'm willing to entrust it to your capable hands."</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela looked at each other skeptically.</p><p>"What?" Crowley's brows creased. "I just said I'd give you the thing."</p><p>"If?" the three hunters asked simultaneously.</p><p>"Is this how you say 'thank you?' You think these things grow on bloody trees?!" Crowley yelled.</p><p>"Cut the crap, Crowley." Angela rolled her eyes. "With you, there's always an 'if.'"</p><p>"Fine." He huffed. "I will give you the Horn <em>if</em> you help me exorcise Lucifer from Castiel's vessel and then return him immediately to the Cage."</p><p>"Oh, that's all? Huh." Sam scoffed.</p><p>"Okay. And where is this horn?" Dean demanded.</p><p>"Safely hidden, naturally."</p><p>"Yeah." Angela pursed her lips.</p><p>"Crowley, even if we could exorcise Lucifer out of Cas, the Cage is damn near impenetrable." Sam reminded. "It took a spell from the Book of the Damned to spring Lucifer, and Rowena hid the book."</p><p>"And we would need both the book and her to even have a shot," Angela added.</p><p>"Did I say this would be easy? No. I did not."</p><p>Sam rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. "Do you even know where Rowena is?"</p><p>"Rotting somewhere, I assume," Crowley answered. "Lucifer snapped her neck."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Hold on, okay? Let's just put it in reverse," Angela started. "We will put Lucifer back in the Cage after we put Amara back on ice. It has to happen in that order, otherwise, there is no Lucifer, there's no cage, there's so nothing."</p><p>"He's spent years marinating in hate against us! He has to go." Crowley argued.</p><p>"Problem is, we may need him," Sam admitted.</p><p>"He's been down this road with Amara before." Dean reminded. "He might be the only one powerful enough to use the Horn against her."</p><p>"He had me cleaning the floors with my tongue! He called me 'puppy!'" He made me beg!" Crowley seethed.</p><p>"All right. Come on." Angela rolled her eyes. "Is this what this about? Huh? Your stupid ego? The fact that he dissed you in front of a bunch of stupid demons? You're smarter than this. Come on!"</p><p>"Angie's right. Priority is to put the Horn in Lucifer's hands and set him loose on Amara."</p><p>"After we exorcise Lucifer out of Cas and put him into a new vessel," Angela added.</p><p>"What? Really?" Sam's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Yes, really." Angela turned to face her husband. "We're not gonna send Lucifer into battle inside Cas. What if he doesn't make it?"</p><p>"Baby, it's a strong vessel. It's held Cas for years, and we know what he's been through." Sam shrugged. "I'm guessing it can hold Lucifer."</p><p>"It?" Dean frowned. "Sam, it's not an 'it.' It's Cas."</p><p>"And Cas wanted to do this," Sam argued.</p><p>"Yeah, well, there's times I want to get slapped during sex by a girl wearing a Zorro mask." Dean retorted. "That don't make it a good idea."</p><p>"This is exactly how we screw ourselves." Sam sighed heavily. "W-we make the… the heart choice instead of the smart choice."</p><p>"Oh, okay. Thank you, Dr. Phil." Dean spat. "Cas is family."</p><p>"Yes, and his choice deserves to be respected."</p><p>"Even if it kills him?" Angela frowned deeply.</p><p>"It's killing me." Crowley chimed in. "I would rather stick white-hot skewers in my eyes than listen to you three bitches bicker! I gave you the terms of my deal. If Lucifer's not back in the Cage, the Horn stays hidden."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"You know, this is a dick move, Crowley. Even for you." Sam reprimanded. "You're not being reasonable."</p><p>"I don't have to be reasonable, I'm the king." He growled.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Suddenly, they all heard a loud crashing sound coming from outside.</p><p>"What the hell was that?" Dean frowned.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, and Crowley walked outside and looked at the stormy sky. Angela held Grace protective as lightning broke through the swirling clouds and thunder crashed.</p><p>"You know what, guys? I think that's her." Angela noted.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Hell's Angel Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam, Dean, Angela, Crowley, and Grace went back inside the abandoned warehouse.</p><p>"Okay," Sam started. "So, now we all just saw what happens when she's in a bad mood, which, apparently, she's been in since the dawn of time."</p><p>"I think she just rattled Heaven with a flick of her pinkie finger," Dean added. "That's not a big enough dose of reality for you?"</p><p>"Why are we arguing?" Crowley demanded. "We all know that he has to go back in the Cage."</p><p>"Yes, when it makes sense," Angela stressed. "Amara's the big picture here now, okay? Look, in order to take her out, Lucifer has got to have the Horn of Joshua. He does her, we do him. Check, please."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Crowley, tick-tock. You with us?" Dean asked.</p><p>"The crux of your dispute is your contention the Lucifer, and <em>only</em> Lucifer, can use the Horn to beat Amara, right?"</p><p>"You got it." Angela nodded.</p><p>"Well, that scenario only works if you actually possess said Horn, which you do not." Crowley retorted.</p><p>"No, we don't. But <em>you</em> do, so…" Sam replied in frustration.</p><p>"Exactly! I do!" Crowley snapped. "This isn't a negotiation. I have the high cards, and you have… Hold on. Give me a second. Let me have a look… no cards! My offer stands."</p><p>"When we sprung Lucifer from the Cage, we had Rowena and the Book of the Damned," Angela recalled. "Both of which we will need to put him back in the Cage, both of which are gone."</p><p>Suddenly, Sam noticed spell-work appearing on an old safe. "Guys."</p><p>"Back to you." Angela glared at Crowley.</p><p>"Guys," Sam repeated a bit louder. "Look at this…"</p><p>The spell-work had revealed the words: <em>BACK FROM THE DEAD FERGUS!</em></p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Inside the church, Dean spray-painted the warding onto the floor while Sam held a wooden cross. Angela stood next to Sam, holding Grace on her hip. Rowena lurked in the background and waved to the hunters.</p><p>"I hate this," Sam commented.</p><p>"Yeah." Dean agreed.</p><p>"And, by the way, where the hell is Crowley?" Sam questioned. "I mean, we're essentially all set up."</p><p>"Yeah, I mean, he's the one that boxed us into doing this." Angela rolled her eyes. "You think he'd have the decency to—</p><p>"Show up?" Crowley appeared, holding the Horn of Joshua. "He does. Because without the bait, well… a trap really isn't a trap, is it?"</p><p>Sam scoffed, pointing at the weapon. "That's it? Doesn't look like much, does it?"</p><p>"First impressions can be deceiving, Moose. For instance, I once thought of you as dull and plodding." Crowley smirked, earning a glare from Sam. "Oh, never mind. Bad analogy."</p><p>"For the record," Angela cut in. "We still think this is a bad idea. We should be using Lucifer, not icing him."</p><p>"I'm aware, Bambi. So, I'll be standing right here should you hesitate." Crowley replied. "The hand that giveth can so quickly taketh away."</p><p>"Yes, we getteth it." Dean sassed.</p><p>"So, Mummy," Crowley started. "You were telling us your fascinating tale of resurrection. But you never did say where you'd been this whole time."</p><p>"Same as you, Fergus. Hiding." Rowena replied. "Once the Dark Prince knew I was alive, I wouldn't be."</p><p>"No mucking about like last time. The warding and the holy fire won't keep an archangel but for a moment. If he shows up at all."</p><p>"Oh, he'll show," Dean assured. "He's too hungry to take Amara out, and we've got the blaster to do it." He added before he started reading from a piece of parchment. "In nominee magni dei nostril Satanas, introibo ad altare Domini Inferi. I summon you to make an offer. The weapon by which its bearer can crush the Darkness forever."</p><p>Thunder crashed and Sam looked around. Rowena left the room to hide behind the door, terrified.</p><p>"Okay, Gracie," Angela took her to where Rowena was hiding. "I need you to stay here, okay? Do you understand?"</p><p>"Yes, Mama." Grace nodded.</p><p>Angela turned to Rowena. "If you try to do <em>anything</em> to her—</p><p>"You'll kill me, darling. I figured." Rowena replied.</p><p>Angela nodded and leaned down to kiss Grace's cheek before meeting back up with Sam, Dean, and Crowley just as Lucifer appeared.</p><p>"Sam, now!" Angela yelled.</p><p>Sam lit a match and dropped it into the holy oil, which lit into a ring of dire around Lucifer, rapping him. He smirked and looked at Sam, who was clearly scared.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Lucifer started. "Your prayer implied that I'd be… joining the team, but I'm just not feeling the warm and fuzzy here."</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela glanced at each other as Lucifer noticed the Horn.</p><p>"Wow. There it is. Powered up by Dad himself." Lucifer muttered. "Well, that bad boy plus me… That ought to take her out all right." He clapped and rubbed his hands together in glee. "Let's get to it. Douse the flames?" he snapped his fingers impatiently. "Or don't?"</p><p>Angela cut the palm of her hand and pressed it against a spell etched on the wall. Lucifer started to shake as Castiel woke inside of him.</p><p>"Cas!" Dean yelled.</p><p>"Castiel, show yourself!" Angela demanded.</p><p>"Dean? Angela?" Castiel breathed heavily.</p><p>"Cas," Angela breathed out.</p><p>"What are you doing? What's—what's going on?" the angel inquired.</p><p>"Cas, listen to me," Angela started urgently. "We don't have a whole lot of time, okay? You have got to—</p><p>Castiel started to writhe and shake as Lucifer started to regain control.</p><p>"Cas." Angela frowned.</p><p>Lucifer continued to struggle, grunting and writhing.</p><p>"Castiel, show yourself!" Angela yelled.</p><p>Lucifer started laughing with glee. "Oh-hoo-hoo-hoo! Whoo! Uh, he's got to what? You three… ooh, you almost had me there for a minute, but these mail-order spells… they're just not what they're cracked up to be, are they?"</p><p>"Cas, expel him! You got to kick Lucifer out!" Dean stressed. "Do you hear me?!"</p><p>"Honestly, I think he's happy with the arrangement." Lucifer shrugged. "I mean, he did invite me in and all."</p><p>"Cas!" Angela yelled in desperation.</p><p>"Cas!" Lucifer repeated mockingly.</p><p>Angela glared at Lucifer in frustration and anger.</p><p>"Hand over the weapon." Lucifer glared. "What do you say? Or we can just wait for this warding to fail and I'll take it."</p><p>Just as Lucifer said that, the spell-work died and the warding started to fade.</p><p>"Bloody hell," Crowley muttered.</p><p>Crowley smoked out of his vessel and entered Lucifer. Sam, Dean, Angela, and Rowena watched in astonishment.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"You know, he's been gone a long time," Sam commented. "I mean, what do you think is going on?"</p><p>"I don't know." Angela shook her head. "Maybe Cas isn't willing to play ball. I mean, you said it yourself… he wanted this."</p><p>"Can't you people do anything right?!" Rowena cried out. "Whilst all this dithering goes on, we're losing time! Look… the warding's beginning to fail."</p><p>"Come on, Cas," Dean muttered. "What the hell?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>After a while, the three hunters and Rowena started to hear a sizzling noise. They all turned to see that Crowley had sent them a message, burnt into his vessel's forehead that said: <em>HELP ME.</em></p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam grabbed the cross and held it up to Lucifer. "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas… omnis incursion infernalis adversarii. Omnis legio! Omnis congregation et secta diabolica! Ergo, Draco maledicte et omnis… legio diabolica, adiuramus te! Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursion infernalis adversarii. Omnis legio! Omnis congregation et secta diabolica! Ergo, Draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica, adiuramus te!"</p><p>Dean and Angela were tossing holy water onto Lucifer as Sam continued the chant. Suddenly, red smoke exited from Lucifer and Crowley was back in his own vessel, gasping.</p><p>"Crowley." Sam's brows creased.</p><p>"Useless." Crowley shook his head. "Lucifer's hold on him is too strong."</p><p>"The fire!" Rowena screamed as it started to die down.</p><p>"Ah. Trick me? You lied to me. You know, I could have been your warrior." Lucifer shook his head. "Ah. Who needs ya?"</p><p>Crowley took that opportunity to disappear, leaving the hunters and Rowena alone with Lucifer.</p><p>"Well, it's just like Crowley to leave right when the party's getting started. Have a seat." Lucifer motioned, and the three hunters, without control, were forced to sit. "As much as I get a giggle out of you three, and I do, there comes a time when every relationship has… run its course. So…"</p><p>Lucifer closed his fist and the three hunters began to choke; they gasped and struggled for breath as Lucifer gripped them tighter and tighter, a smirk on his face. Rowena and Grace were still hiding. Grace hid behind Rowena, who was just as terrified. Suddenly, there was an explosion and a gaping hole appeared in the church. Lucifer turned to see Amara saunter into the room.</p><p>"Oh, Lucifer. Dear nephew, my, how you've changed." Amara looked him over.</p><p>"How'd you find us?" Angela demanded.</p><p>"I was tracking her," Amara indicated Rowena. "When she left my side."</p><p>"You were safely sealed away." Lucifer shook his head. "You're gonna wish you stayed there."</p><p>Lucifer held up the Horn of Joshua and it glowed red as he absorbed its power. His eyes turned white and he conjured a ball of fire into his hand. He aimed it at Amara, throwing a beam of white light to engulf her. But then, as the light died down, Amara remained standing, without a scratch. She lifted her hand and drew Lucifer effortlessly toward her. He dropped the Horn of Joshua. Amara cupped her hand on Lucifer's face as the three hunters watched on in astonishment.</p><p>"I think you and I need to have a nice, long chat," Amara smirked.</p><p>"Cas!" Angela yelled.</p><p>Amara turned to look at Angela. She raised her hands to release Angela, Sam, and Dean from Lucifer's grasp. Then there was a blinding flash of light, which enveloped Amara and Lucifer, and they disappeared. Rowena made her exit and Angela immediately ran over to get Grace.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, and Grace were in the bunker. Sam brought a beer for Dean and Angela; Grace walked next to her father, drinking juice out of a sippy cup. Several empty beer bottles were on the map table.</p><p>"So, Rowena and Crowley… like mother, like son, huh?" Sam scoffed. "They both took exactly one split second to take off when things started going south."</p><p>"Yep," Dean muttered.</p><p>"Here," Sam handed the beers to Dean and Angela. "By the way, what's Rowena doing with Amara?"</p><p>"My guess… she's playing the odds," Angela replied as she took a swig from her drink. "When sucking up to Lucifer didn't work out, maybe she thought Amara was the best bet. Then she heard Lucifer had a shot, so she switched horses again."</p><p>"I thought Lucifer had a shot." Sam rubbed the back of his neck. "Apparently, uh, archangel plus God power doesn't trump God's sister."</p><p>"But if the thing has to be used by God's chosen, then maybe an archangel who got the booth doesn't qualify," Dean suggested. "Either way, horn's out of ammo, so…" he trailed off as he assembled the beer bottles into a triangle.</p><p>"So, back to square one," Sam muttered as he sat down and pulled Grace into his lap.</p><p>"Yep." Dean sighed heavily.</p><p>"Looks like it," Angela muttered.</p><p>"Listen, um… I know I came down on the side of wanting Cas to deal with Amara, so…" Sam trailed off.</p><p>"Well, that's what he wanted though, right?" Angela replied. "Besides, didn't we say that we were gonna swear off getting in the way when one person makes a choice the others may not agree with?"</p><p>Sam nodded and cleared his throat. "Yeah, um… Yeah, we did say that."</p><p>"So…" Angela shrugged weakly.</p><p>"Okay," Sam muttered. "So, that's our policy."</p><p>"Which sounds damn good," Dean added, earning a chuckle from Sam. "Well, let's go find that idiot and bring him home." He said as he rolled a baseball across the table to knock over the empty beer bottles.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. The Chitters Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Angela sat in the bunker's library early that morning when Sam and Dean walked in; Sam carrying a bowl of cereal while Dean had a cup of coffee.</p><p>"Angie, you didn't come to bed last night," Sam commented.</p><p>"Sleeping is the new smoking," Angela mumbled, clearly exhausted.</p><p>Sam's brows creased together. "What? Baby, no, it's not. It's <em>sitting.</em> Sitting is the new smoking."</p><p>"That can't be right." Angela shook her head, still staring at her laptop.</p><p>"Kiddo, we'll find Cas, okay?" Dean assured. "He's stronger than he looks."</p><p>"You know, we gambled with Cas, and now Amara has him." Angela looked up at the brothers.</p><p>"For a reason, which means he's still alive." Sam countered.</p><p>Angela shook her head. "I've been with Amara. Her beef is with the big guys… With God, with Lucifer. The small fries, even an angel like Cas, doesn't even register. And if it meant hurting Lucifer, killing Cas would mean nothing to her."</p><p>"It's been a week." Sam sighed heavily. "We've still got no leads."</p><p>"You think I don't know that?" Angela scoffed as she rose from her seat.</p><p>"So… so, we get back out there. We get back to work. We keep moving. We keep working." Sam replied. "We'll catch a break on Cas. We have to. It's—it's karma."</p><p>Angela picked up one of the books and flipped through it. "You know, karma's been kicking us in the teeth lately."</p><p>"Yeah." Dean agreed. "So, let's kick it back, kiddo."</p><p>"Here, check this out." Sam put down his bowl and lifted his laptop.</p><p>Angela closed the book and walked closer to Sam.</p><p>"Libby Strauss," Sam started. "Uh, went missing near Gunnison, Colorado. Now Libby's friend claimed she was carried off by a mutant creature with green eyes."</p><p>"Demon?" Angela asked as she sat back down.</p><p>"That's what I thought, but it gets better," Sam replied. "The friend chased after 'em and she found Libby, only it wasn't Libby anymore because now she, too, is a green-eyed mutant."</p><p>"Demon swap suits?" Angela frowned in confusion.</p><p>"Only one way to find out." Sam shrugged.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Gunnison, Colorado</em>
</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, and Grace were in the sheriff's office, talking with Sheriff Tyson. Grace sat on a nearby chair scribbling in her coloring book.</p><p>"How many missing do you have?" Angela asked curiously.</p><p>"Six," Sheriff Tyson answered. "All in the last 48 hours. They're disappearing one by one."</p><p>"Okay, uh, let's start with Libby Strauss," Sam replied. "I understand that she was from out of town?"</p><p>"Uh, she and a friend were visiting from Tucson. Libby was the first reported missing." Sheriff Tyson explained.</p><p>"But all the rest have been local?" Dean quirked a brow.</p><p>"All residents."</p><p>"You got any leads?" Angela questioned.</p><p>Sheriff Tyson inhaled deeply. "The only eyewitness I have is the friend. Not the most reliable source."</p><p>"Why is that?" Dean's brows furrowed.</p><p>"She and Libby were on the last legs of their cannabis tasting tour." Sheriff Tyson explained. "Fumes still coming off the girl when I questioned her."</p><p>"A trippin' trip." Dean chuckled.</p><p>"Have you had anything odd like this happen around here before?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>Sheriff Tyson got up from her chair and moved closer to the hunters, leaning on her desk. "27 years ago. About a dozen residents went missing. 27 years before that, another eight disappeared."</p><p>"All within the same time frame? Couple of days?" Angela questioned.</p><p>"Same time of year, too." Sheriff Tyson confirmed.</p><p>"And how far back do the disappearances go?" Sam asked.</p><p>Sheriff Tyson shrugged. "That's it. The town's only been here since the fifties. It was all virgin forest till they found coal here."</p><p>"So, then how do people explain the missing?"</p><p>"Most of them don't." Sheriff Tyson replied sadly. "People come and go in this town. I've only been here two years, myself. There are some old-timers with their theories?"</p><p>"Such as?" Sam inquired.</p><p>"Town's built on an Indian burial ground. Forest folk are pissed because we stole their coal."</p><p>"And what's your take?" Angela tilted her head.</p><p>"We're a small town. People get bored, they get fed up, they leave." Sheriff Tyson countered. "Once a few get free, it's like a jailbreak. Encourages the others."</p><p>"Every 27 years like clockwork?" Angela asked skeptically.</p><p>"Honestly, I-I'm just focused on the missing that I have right now." Sheriff Tyson admitted. "You're welcome to take a look at the files, talk to the witness. I've got panicked residents I need to talk down."</p><p>"Right. Sure." Sam nodded.</p><p>Sheriff Tyson walked out of her office, leaving the hunters and Grace behind.</p><p>"What the hell is going on here?" Dean muttered.</p><p>"No idea," Sam started as he went to pick up Grace. "Whatever it is, it's moved in. Or keeps coming back for seconds. All right, Angie and I will go check on the reports on the other missing."</p><p>"Oh," Dean pursed his lips. "I guess that leaves me Ganja Girl."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean was inside the interrogation room with Cori, who sat at the table.</p><p>"You're gonna say I was hallucinating," Cori started. "The weed was laced with PCP or something."</p><p>"It's okay, Cori," Dean assured. "Just… just… tell me what you remember. And nothing is too strange or weird to mention."</p><p>Cori looked up at Dean and hesitated for a moment. "The thing that took Libby was naked and pale. Except for the eyes. I swear to God, they flashed green for a second."</p><p>Dean tilted his head slightly at the explanation.</p><p>"And it didn't have any hair. Anywhere." Cori continued. "It was shaped like a man. Or was it a woman?"</p><p>"Was it a man or a woman?" Dean asked curiously.</p><p>"It didn't have a…" Cori pointed downward.</p><p>"A penis?" Dean's brows shot up.</p><p>Cori looked up at Dean with wide eyes. "It didn't have anything."</p><p>Dean squinted slightly. "What, you're saying it was junkless?"</p><p>"Completely."</p><p>"Okay, uh… anything else unusual you remember? Sounds? Smells?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"Definitely sound. When I found Libby, she was just standing there… shivering and shaking." Cori recalled. "It wasn't Libby. I don't know what it was."</p><p>"The buzzing… was coming from her body?"</p><p>Cori nodded. "We heard the same sound right before that thing jumped out at us."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Angela were browsing through old files with his laptop and Dean sat on the desk in front of them. Grace sat on Sam's lap.</p><p>"Daddy, I'm bored." The toddler complained.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Peanut," Sam apologized. "But this is really important, okay? Do you want to color?"</p><p>Grace just shook her head and nuzzled against Sam's chest.</p><p>"Green eyes, buzzing. Weed alone doesn't conjure up that kind of scenario," Dean started before turning to Sam. "Isn't that right, Sam?"</p><p>Sam looked up at his brother and rolled his eyes. "Dude, I was 18."</p><p>"I married a bad boy." Angela teased lightly.</p><p>"Sinner," Dean smirked.</p><p>"It was college." Sam scoffed. "It was probably oregano anyways."</p><p>"Rebel." Dean smiled.</p><p>"You're an idiot." Sam retorted. "Look, Angie and I are coming up empty also. Uh, nothing on Junkless or the green-eyed shaker."</p><p>"So, we think Junkless turned Libby?"</p><p>"Hold up," Angela frowned. "We're not actually gonna go with 'Junkless' on this, are we?"</p><p>"Eh." Dean shrugged.</p><p>"Dude, that's a new low, even for us." Sam shook his head.</p><p>"Well, something happened. You got the eyes, the buzzing." Dean argued.</p><p>"Yeah, you're right." Angela sighed heavily. "That can't be a coincidence. Uh, here, I found this," she picked up a file from the pile of paper. "The, uh, the sheriff who was here in '89, Cochran," she handed the papers to Dean. "Those are his notes. There's no mention of buzzing. But he seemed to be closing in on some of the missing, and then his notes, they just kind of abruptly stop."</p><p>"He take a flyer, too?" Dean inquired as he read the papers.</p><p>"No." Angela shook her head. "He remained sheriff for a few more months. He ended up resigning and, uh, then he fell off the radar."</p><p>"We asked around the station, but that was a few sheriffs ago, so…" Sam shook his head.</p><p>"Nothing?" Dean frowned.</p><p>"The dispatcher said she thought he moved to Florida, but that was a dead-end," Sam answered.</p><p>"Kind of like this case," Dean muttered.</p><p>"Yeah," Sam flipped another file. "Wait a second. Most of the witnesses in '89 and '62, they're all dead or they've moved away, but there does seem to be one holdout from the '89 case, Etta Fraser."</p><p>"Let's go talk to Etta." Dean nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela sat across from Etta in her living room and Grace sat on Sam's lap.</p><p>"Your husband was one of the people who disappeared in 1989," Angela stated.</p><p>"Oh, my second husband." Etta corrected. "Barely that. Pete only stuck around a couple months."</p><p>"So, he left voluntarily?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"Oh," Etta chuckled. "Pete was volunteering himself all over the place. Right before he disappeared, people saw Pete diddling two different women in public, separate occasions."</p><p>"You mean they actually saw him in the act?" Dean's brows creased.</p><p>"What does 'diddling' mean to you?" Etta deadpanned. "Uh, Pete was never a showman, but apparently, Doris Kagen and Missy Peterson brought out the hog in him."</p><p>"Doris and Melissa, uh, Missy, they disappeared that year, too," Sam replied.</p><p>Etta scoffed. "Oh, yeah. Surprise, surprise. I'd bet my mortgage Pete ran off with one of them."</p><p>"But you reported them as missing." Sam reminded.</p><p>"Well, he didn't come home for three days," Etta started. "I thought he was dead in a ditch somewhere. We didn't find out about the women for a long time after."</p><p>Sam sniffed slightly. "Is that… is that white sage?"</p><p>"Mm. Yeah, you know your herbs." Etta smiled flirtatiously.</p><p>Dean and Sam looked at each other awkwardly and Angela squared her shoulders slightly, taking one of Sam's hands in hers.</p><p>"Are you planning on taking a trip?" Angela nodded to the suitcases in the hall.</p><p>"Uh, yeah." Etta nodded. "I'm going to stay with my sister for a few weeks."</p><p>"For any reason?" Angela questioned.</p><p>"You're gonna think it's real out there," Etta warned.</p><p>"Well, you'd be surprised at the kind of crazy we hear." Sam smiled.</p><p>"Well," Etta licked her lips. "When Pete went missing and we found out about the women, my grandma said that he 'got the chitters.' According to her, once a generation around the spring equinox, people in town start going nuts, have orgies, copulating in the woods. And then they disappear, never to be heard from again."</p><p>"Well, that's certainly one explanation for Pete," Dean muttered.</p><p>"I never really, um, believed what she said, but…" Etta continued. "Now people are disappearing again. She always said burn sage to protect yourself."</p><p>"Hmm. So, why did she call it 'the chitters?'" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>"Oh, that was the word Gran used to describe the sound coming from the woods when the orgies were happening," Etta explained. "Yeah, kind of a buzzing, rattling."</p><p>"Did your Gran ever mention something about, uh, green eyes?" Dean inquired.</p><p>"Oh, yeah." Etta nodded. "Gran said that if you got the chitters, you get so revved up with lust that your eyes would shine like emeralds." She smirked at Sam.</p><p>Dean turned his head to Sam, who raised his eyebrows in confusion. Angela just narrowed her eyes slightly.</p><p>"Uh…" Sam smiled nervously.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela walked down Etta's porch. Angela held Grace on her hip.</p><p>"I don't like the way she was looking at you," Angela grumbled.</p><p>"It's cute when you get all possessive, baby." Sam wrapped an arm around Angela's waist. "So, we got spring equinox. Which was yesterday."</p><p>"Orgies, buzzing green-eyed freaks. Sounds like a rager." Dean replied.</p><p>"All right, let's pick up a six-pack," Angela suggested.</p><p>"Just six?" Dean complained.</p><p>"Oh, whatever." Angela rolled her eyes. "Let's hit the books."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela were in the interrogation room with a young woman and Sheriff Tyson. Grace sat on one of the chairs and was drawing on a piece of blank paper.</p><p>"We ran, and then another one with green eyes came from nowhere," the young woman started. "It was Coach Hollister."</p><p>"Grant Hollister?" Sheriff Tyson's brows shot up.</p><p>"He attacked us." The young woman replied. "He had these teeth that were pointed. He ripped into Cliff. I could hear him screaming, but… I ran. He killed Cliff."</p><p>"Did you, by any chance, recognize the couple?" Angela asked gently.</p><p>The young woman nodded. "It was one of the Deaver brothers, the tall one, and Mrs. Limoski."</p><p>"You're sure about this?" Sheriff Tyson asked.</p><p>The girl just answered with a nod.</p><p>"Did you see anybody else?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"I couldn't see their faces, but I'm pretty sure there were more of them down the alley, past the couple. I—I could see them moving around."</p><p>"The, uh, the couple that—that was going at it, would you say this was a… orgy-like situation?" Dean asked awkwardly.</p><p>The young woman just stared at him. "I've never seen an orgy."</p><p>"No?" Dean shook his head.</p><p>"Enough." Sheriff Tyson snapped.</p><p>Dean stopped talking abruptly. Sheriff Tyson rose from her seat and walked out of the room.</p><p>"Excuse us a second," Sam muttered.</p><p>Angela picked up Grace and she, Sam, and Dean followed Sheriff Tyson out of the room.</p><p>"I got a dead kid minus a chunk out of his neck and all the people that girl ID'ed missing." Sheriff Tyson turned to face the hunters.</p><p>"Were missing." Dean corrected. "Yeah, now they're having sex with each other."</p><p>"Then there's that." Sheriff Tyson scoffed. "Putting aside the fact that Rob the fireman is screwing the librarian, and I am friends with his pregnant wife, now I've got two witnesses claiming they saw… what? I don't even know. Aliens? Attacking people. Yeah. What is this? Spanish Fly gone bad?"</p><p>"Well, I can honestly say this is a new one for us." Dean pursed his lips.</p><p>"I gotta go contact the families." Sheriff Tyson sighed.</p><p>"Right." Sam nodded.</p><p>Sheriff Tyson walked off, leaving the hunters behind.</p><p>"So, we have confirmed orgy-ish behavior," Dean noted.</p><p>"Yeah, just like Etta's husband," Angela added.</p><p>"What, the chitters?" Dean asked as they started walking.</p><p>"Well, we should go check the crime scene," Sam suggested as Dean's phone started ringing.</p><p>"Agent Lewis," he answered. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, Cori, calm down! Where exactly? All right, I'm on my way."</p><p>Sam and Angela looked concerned as Dean hung up.</p><p>"Ganja Girl's pretty hysterical," Dean muttered. "Says she just saw her friend walking in the woods. She's too freaked out to go, so…"</p><p>"You go," Sam replied. "Angie and I will grab the alley."</p><p>"Great." Dean nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The Impala pulled into the woods and Dean stepped out, checking out his surroundings. There was a rattling sound coming near him and he turned. There was a girl standing with her head down.</p><p>"Libby?" Dean called out.</p><p>The rattling sound stopped and Dean approached the girl.</p><p>"Hey, Libby, there's a whole lot of people looking for you," Dean told her.</p><p>Libby lifted her head to looked at Dean. Her face was pale and dirty, then she snarled at Dean and her eyes shined an emerald green. Dean stopped suddenly, and out of nowhere, a man pushed him to the ground. Dean fight the man, who was also snarling and rattling. Dean punched the man, and when the man was about to fight back, he suddenly got decapitated.</p><p>Dean panted heavily and when he looked up, there was a man holding a machete and offering his hand to Dean to help him up. When Dean finally got back onto his feet, another man ran in their direction and started to stab the creature in the chest several times.</p><p>"You hurt?" Cesar asked.</p><p>"No, I'm—I'm—I'm good. Thanks." Dean stammered.</p><p>"Jesse, I think it's dead," Cesar commented.</p><p>"Just making sure." Jesse retorted.</p><p>Dean still had his eyes on the younger hunter, Jesse, and the body on the ground. Jesse took a step back to stand next to Cesar.</p><p>"Who the hell are you guys?" Dean asked, confused.</p><p>"You wouldn't believe us," Jesse replied.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean, Cesar, and Jesse sat in the dimly lit restaurant and the waitress brought over a few bottles of beer.</p><p>"So, how long you guys been hunting?" Dean asked curiously.</p><p>"Together? About seven years." Jesse answered. "And we've heard of the Winchesters, but we also heard you bit it a couple years ago."</p><p>"Ah, that's a long, ugly, ugly story." Dean shook his head before turning to see Sam and Angela walk in with Grace.</p><p>"Hey." Sam waved.</p><p>"Hi." Angela smiled.</p><p>Grace squirmed in her mother's arms and reached out for Dean as the couple sat down.</p><p>"Come here, sweetheart," Dean grinned as he put Grace on his lap. "Sam, Angie, hey. Uh, Jesse and Cesar."</p><p>Sam and Angela each shook hands with the other hunters.</p><p>"You guys are hunters, right?" Angela asked.</p><p>"Yeah." Cesar nodded.</p><p>"I'm surprised we never ran into you," Sam commented.</p><p>Dean called the waitress for more beers.</p><p>"Well, we're mostly in Mexico. Sometimes we make a run over into Texas." Cesar explained.</p><p>"Nice." Sam nodded. "Uh, nothing in the alley, by the way." He tapped Dean's shoulder.</p><p>"Thanks." Angela looked to the waitress who brought her and Sam beers.</p><p>"You guys have any idea what we're hunting?" Dean raised his brows.</p><p>"They're called Bisaan. It's a kind of cicada spirit." Jesse replied.</p><p>"We couldn't find any lore on 'em." Sam's brows furrowed.</p><p>"They're rare, at least in America," Jesse explained. "People think that they originated in Malaysia, in the forests there."</p><p>Dean frowned in confusion. "So, what are they doing here?"</p><p>"What they always do. Every 27 years, they come up from the underground, they mate like crazy for a few days." Jesse noted. "That generation dies off, and the whole cycle goes on repeat."</p><p>"So, they're reproducing?" Angela questioned.</p><p>"But we're—we're dealing with townsfolk here." Dean frowned deeply. "I mean, they didn't just crawl out of a hole a few days ago."</p><p>"This is what surfaces," Jesse took out his tablet. "Bisaan can't reproduce on their own, so they take over a human body to do the deed. They enter through the mouth, like a hermit crab climbing into a shell."</p><p>"Only they don't care that the shell's not empty," Cesar added.</p><p>"Well, that explains Junkless," Dean muttered.</p><p>"What about the buzzing?" Sam asked.</p><p>"It's how they communicate. It's a mating call." Jesse answered.</p><p>"And you, um, kill them by taking off their heads, I see." Dean referred to when Cesar decapitated the creature earlier.</p><p>"Seems to do the trick." Jesse nodded.</p><p>"How do you guys know so much about these things?" Sam inquired, causing Cesar to turn to Jesse.</p><p>"One of them took my brother 27 years ago," Jesse answered grimly.</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela each looked surprised, not knowing what to say.</p><p>"We're sorry to hear that." Angela apologized sincerely.</p><p>"I've been waiting years to come back and this shot at them." Jesse clenched his jaw slightly. "So, I hope you understand, I'm gonna ask you three to take a step back from this one."</p><p>Dean nodded in understanding. "Well, catch us up. Where have you guys been?"</p><p>"In the woods," Jesse replied. "Where the action is, looking for their burrow and saving your ass." He added, earning a scoff from Cesar. "What?"</p><p>"Well, one of the reasons we've been holed up in the trees is because Jesse hates the town and everyone in it," Cesar informed.</p><p>"Because they're ignorant and useless." Jesse seethed. "They didn't believe me 27 years ago, they're not gonna start now."</p><p>"It's boneheaded not to be following leads in town," Cesar argued sternly.</p><p>"Hey, nobody is stopping you from talking to the whole box of crackers." Jesse snapped.</p><p>"Ah, you guys fight just like brothers." Dean chuckled. "Almost as bad as us." He gestured to Sam and himself.</p><p>"Well," Cesar paused. "It's more like an old married couple."</p><p>"Oh, so more like us." Angela giggled as she nudged Sam. "We get what's it like, settling down with a hunter."</p><p>"Yeah, it's smelly, dirty." Cesar laughed. "Twice the worrying about getting ganked."</p><p>Sam smiled understandingly and kissed the top of Angela's head. "Jesse, you're from here. Do you know anything about the sheriff, Cochran, who worked the case back in '89?"</p><p>"That son of a bitch was incompetent. He shut himself away years ago." Jesse scoffed.</p><p>"Do you know where he is?" Sam asked before taking a swig from his drink.</p><p>"Turned tail, ran off into the hills, couple towns over. Lives like a hermit." Jesse explained angrily.</p><p>"Can you take us there?" Sam inquired. "Uh, it seems like he was honing in on some of the missing."</p><p>"We need to find the burrow." Jesse retorted sternly.</p><p>"Jess, we've been beating around the woods for two days." Cesar chimed in patiently, trying not to make him angrier.</p><p>"That's where they are," Jesse argued stubbornly. "You saw the tracks."</p><p>"I can keep searching on my own. We're losing."</p><p>"Why don't I go with you?" Dean cut in, looking to Cesar. "We'll start where—where I got jumped."</p><p>Cesar nodded at Dean's idea, then he and Dean turned to Jesse. Jesse looked concerned but finally nodded in approval.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. The Chitters Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"How long do we have before these things are gone?" Dean asked as he drove down the dark road, rain pelting down onto the car.</p><p>"We gotta find the burrow tonight. By tomorrow, the Bisaan will be underground, dying. Won't be able to find them or their eggs." Cesar explained. "And Jesse will wait another 27 years."</p><p>Dean turned to Cesar and looked sharply to the road. "Well, there's five of us now. We'll smoke those sons of bitches."</p><p>"Yeah, it'll eat him alive if we don't." Cesar shook his head.</p><p>"It's hard to watch someone go through that, isn't it?"</p><p>Cesar huffed lightly. "Yeah. I never had a brother or a sister, but I've seen it over and over, when someone loses someone when they're young. It never heals over."</p><p>"No, it doesn't." Dean agreed.</p><p>"And the insane thing is, how many hunters have you seen over the years get their revenge?" Cesar inquired.</p><p>"A few."</p><p>"Yeah. Me, too." Cesar replied before pausing for a moment. "And they are never fixed, are they?"</p><p>"No, I guess not," Dean admitted. "But, you gotta help him get that revenge anyway."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Cesar walked around the woods, investigating the surroundings with their flashlights. They noticed footsteps heading toward the deeper side of the woods. Cesar signaled to Dean to check it out, while he looked for another sign of the Bisaan around the woods.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Jesse sighed heavily as he drove. "I must've stumbled around searched for Matty, ten, twenty minutes. I was shaking and panicking. Told myself I had to focus, find him, and I did. Those green eyes staring back at me. It wasn't human. I took off, didn't look back."</p><p>"You never saw him again after that?" Angela asked from the back seat.</p><p>Jesse shook his head sadly. "Everybody in town, including my Mom, thought some pervert had taken him. She was falling apart, crying. Why didn't I remember what the guy looked like? Why was I making up this lie?"</p><p>"She still live here?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>"Moved as soon as she could," Jesse answered. "Still thinks I should've done something. Saved him. Everybody did."</p><p>"They couldn't accept that your brother was taken by a monster, huh?" Angela smiled understandingly.</p><p>"They couldn't accept a lot of things. But Matty did." Jesse replied, pausing for a moment. "He was a great brother."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Cesar was searching on his side of the woods when there was a figure coming out of the ground behind him. He didn't hear the sound of dry leave crunching when the creature moved. It was the sound of a twig cracking that finally made him turn around. When Cesar aimed his flashlight at the ground, he saw that there was a disturbance on the soil, and suddenly something jumped on his. His scream quickly alerted Dean, who came to help as the creature ran off.</p><p>"You good?" Dean asked in concern.</p><p>"Go!" Cesar commanded.</p><p>Dean nodded and chased after the creature.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Jesse, and Angela sat on the couch in Sheriff Cochran's living room, which was littered with beer bottles. Grace sat on Sam's lap, sucking her thumb.</p><p>"I don't care if you're FBI or not," Cochran started. "It was 30 years ago, I don't remember a damn thing. Except we never found them."</p><p>"Well, one of them was a 16-year-old boy, and that was my brother." Jesse glared icily.</p><p>"A lot of folks lost family that year." Cochran retorted.</p><p>"And you didn't help a damn one of them, did you?" Jesse seethed.</p><p>"Jesse…" Sam warned lightly.</p><p>Jesse looked sideways at Sam, then at Cochran as an awkward silence fell over the room.</p><p>"Mr. Cochran," Angela started. "We're here because more people have gone missing. The same M.O."</p><p>Cochran straightened up as a look of surprise crossed his features. "No. No, it's done. It's done."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Cesar was checking on his leg when Dean jogged back over.</p><p>"Cesar?"</p><p>"You lost it?" Cesar frowned.</p><p>"No, no." Dean panted. "I followed it. I saw where it went. I think I found the burrow."</p><p>Cesar exhaled deeply in relief. "Thank God."</p><p>"I think that's why he attacked you. He was being protective." Dean commented.</p><p>"Of what?"</p><p>"The females, the burrow," Dean replied.</p><p>"Oh, that makes sense." Cesar nodded. "Must be laying their eggs by now."</p><p>"You gonna be all right?" Dean asked concernedly.</p><p>"Yeah. Where are we headed?"</p><p>"It's a hike," Dean warned.</p><p>"That's okay," Cesar assured.</p><p>"I tried to call Sam, there's no service," Dean muttered.</p><p>"Do you think the whole brood's there?"</p><p>Dean nodded. "If we're lucky."</p><p>"Let's go," said Cesar as he started walking.</p><p>"All right." Dean followed.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Cochran walked back into the living room where the three hunters were waiting after he washed his face. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Okay, I'll tell you what. Leave your card, and if anything comes back to me, I'll call."</p><p>"Mr. Cochran, you don't own a phone." Sam reminded. "Look, we're not asking for a lot. Just please tell us what you know."</p><p>"I couldn't find them. So, that's on me." Cochran sighed heavily. "I never recovered from it. I—I…" he scratched his nose. "So, I bought this little slice of heaven and made my peace. I wish you all better luck."</p><p>"Joe, please. I was 12 when my brother got taken." Jesse rose from his seat. "I never got over what I lost that day, the one person in the whole world I loved the most."</p><p>"Okay, I'm gonna say this once. It's time for you to go." Cochran said firmly.</p><p>"Listen, we know what took Jesse's brother," Angels started as she stood up. "And what took all the townspeople then and now. You know, Jesse was only a kid at the time, but he was telling the truth. What took these people is not human."</p><p>"How do you know?" Cochran asked skeptically.</p><p>"It's what we do," Sam replied as he rose from his seat, adjusting Grace in his arms.</p><p>"I saw one of the creatures today," Jesse added.</p><p>Cochran sat back down and shook his head. "I knew she was something. I—I didn't know what. I tracked one of those things down in '89. It… it… it was sick and dying. I—I followed it back to its… its lair, I guess. My daughter was there." He let out a sob. "Couple of days before that, she had left to go back to school, I—I don't know what happened. But she was one of them."</p><p>"Wait a second," Sam's brows creased together in confusion. "You never reported her as missing."</p><p>Cochran looked up at Sam and shook his head sadly. "I knew where she was. All the missing people were… scattered all around, dead. I think she and that other thing had killed them. I tried… I tried talking to her." He sobbed. "But she attacked me like some kind of rabid wolf. Teeth like thorns. I killed her."</p><p>Jesse angrily pushed Cochran further into the chair. "You son of a bitch."</p><p>Sam handed Grace to Angela before moved forward to stop Jesse from hurting the former sheriff.</p><p>"You knew the whole time!" Jesse bellowed. "You knew where they were when everybody was suffering."</p><p>Cochran pushed Jesse off of him. "I was suffering, too!"</p><p>Sam pulled Jesse away from Cochran and tried to calm him down. "Jesse. Hey, hey. Hold on. Hold on."</p><p>"You think anybody would've believed me? Monsters?" Cochran countered.</p><p>Jesse pointed to his head angrily. "You told me I was making it up! We could've told people together, found those things!"</p><p>"They were already dying. All the missing people were dead." Cochran shook his head.</p><p>"No. You didn't wanna say that your kid was one of them, a monster, and that you…</p><p>"Hey." Sam pushed Jesse back.</p><p>"… killed her." He continued.</p><p>"Jesse," Angela warned.</p><p>"You <em>killed</em> her." Jesse seethed.</p><p>"Jesse, stop. Stop." Sam said firmly before turning to Cochran. "What did you do? What, did you just erase her from your life? Pretend that she just went away somewhere?"</p><p>Cochran took a framed photo of his daughter out from under the newspaper. "Yeah, better to bury it. All of it," his voice cracked. "We just let the townspeople think their loved ones had run off for a big, bright life."</p><p>"Where was she? Where did you find her?" Angela demanded.</p><p>"By Taylor Creek." Cochran sobbed. "The old Donnelly mine."</p><p>"Come on." Sam tapped Jesse's chest and pulled him out of the living room, Angela following close behind.</p><p>Jesse looked at Cochran sympathetically before following Sam and Angela, leaving Cochran alone as he sobbed with the photo of his daughter in his arms.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean and Cesar arrived at that burrow that was located in the abandoned mine. Dean found a door and broke the wooden fence so he and Cesar could get in. They walked into the creepy, dark tunnel, then they went down different paths. Dean went deeper into the mine and he found a woman sleeping. Her stomach was swollen and she was clearly pregnant. Dean leaned down and tried to find a pulse, but he couldn't seem to find one. When he looked at the woman's stomach, there was something larva-like inside, glowing an emerald color.</p><p>Dean continued walking and found a dark tunnel in front of him. He was about to investigate when he heard something behind him. It was one of the creatures, pale and eyes shining green. The creature growled and lunged at Dean.</p><p>After a while, Dean grabbed a nearby shovel and chopped off the creature's head. Cesar ran into the tunnel, surprising Dean.</p><p>"Oh," Dean sighed happily when he saw that it was Cesar.</p><p>"I hate it when I lose my blade." Cesar panted heavily.</p><p>"Yeah. You could've jumped in anytime." Dean stood up.</p><p>Cesar walked down the tunnel, leaving Dean. "What is this place?"</p><p>"It's the maternity ward/subway station." Dean followed. "That's home… I think that's a tunnel."</p><p>"That's gotta go topside eventually."</p><p>"Mothers are already dead," Dean noted. "Males weren't protecting them, they were protecting the eggs?"</p><p>"They must gestate inside for years 'til they hatch," Cesar muttered.</p><p>"Yeah, well, these aren't. I got about five gallons of gasoline in the car. I'll go pull her around."</p><p>Dean walked out of the house, leaving Cesar to really take in his surroundings.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean opened the trunk of the Impala while Cesar stood next to him when Jesse's car pulled up next to it.</p><p>"Did you guys find the burrow?" Sam asked as he got out and closed the door.</p><p>Both Dean and Cesar nodded in confirmation.</p><p>"Where are they?" Jesse demanded.</p><p>"They're in the mine," Dean answered. "Don't worry, they won't be coming back out. We just gotta take care of the eggs."</p><p>"You okay?" Jesse asked Cesar.</p><p>"Hell, yeah. It's finally over." Cesar smiled.</p><p>"You wanna finish them off?" Dean lifted the tank of gasoline.</p><p>Jesse just walked into the mine without taking Dean's offer.</p><p>"Let's just give him a minute," Cesar muttered.</p><p>Sam and Angela nodded.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Jesse was on his knees in front of one of the Bisaan's victims, while the other hunters came into the mine. Angela held Grace protectively.</p><p>"Ah, jeez. Hey, bro." Jesse sobbed. "We found Matty."</p><p>Dean shined his flashlight on one of the skeletons, and then to the lower part of its body.</p><p>"Ah, jeez." Jesse breathed out as he grabbed the leather wallet. "Oh, God." He opened it up and found the nickel still in there.</p><p>"We'll give him a proper burial," Cesar promised.</p><p>Jesse let out another choked up sob. "What about the others?"</p><p>"Don't worry. We'll, uh," Dean lifted the gasoline. "We'll take care of it."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Cesar and Jesse were preparing the pyre for Matty, while Sam, Dean, Angela, and Grace watched from way back. Grace held Sam's hand and clutched her sippy cup in her free hand.</p><p>"You know," Sam started. "Whenever you and Dad used to leave me to go hunting, and I… and I wouldn't hear from y'all for a while, I, um, I was always sure that some vamp or rugaru, or take your pick, I always figured one of them finally got to ya. I tried to think what to do, you know, the next step to take." He shook his head. "I was just lost."</p><p>"We came back, though, every time," Dean replied.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"And look at Jesse," Dean added. "I mean, he turned out all right."</p><p>"They're a good team," Sam commented.</p><p>Cesar and Jesse smiled at each other; Cesar patted Jesse's shoulder comfortingly.</p><p>"They are." Angela agreed. "I was thinking, maybe they could give us a hand with Amara, you know, with Cas."</p><p>"Fresh eyes." Sam agreed. "Could use the extra muscle, too."</p><p>"Yeah." Dean nodded as Jesse lit up the pyre.</p><p>"You did it." Cesar placed an arm around Jesse's shoulder.</p><p>"We did it." He corrected. "Thank you."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The five hunters were walking down the wooded path and Sam was giving Grace a piggyback ride.</p><p>"You good up there, Peanut?" Sam asked.</p><p>"Uh-huh," Grace replied. "I'm tall now."</p><p>"Yeah," Sam chuckled. "You know," he called out to Jesse and Cesar. "It's a good thing you guys had that fire extinguisher."</p><p>"Yeah, for a second there, I thought the whole mine was gonna go up in flames," Jesse replied.</p><p>"Yeah, you loved it." Cesar chuckled. "Like 27 birthdays and Christmases all in one fireball."</p><p>"Well, you're awfully upbeat for a guy who spent half the night in a cave," Dean commented.</p><p>"That's because we have a deal," Cesar replied. "When we finished this hunt, if we caught them, we hang up our spurs."</p><p>"Nice." Sam nodded.</p><p>"Unless your hides need saving." Jesse looked at the Winchesters.</p><p>"No." Angela shook her head, earning surprised looks from the brothers. "No, we're all set." She smiled softly.</p><p>Jesse looked at Angela, and the brothers, still confused.</p><p>"So, uh, what's freedom look like?" Sam changed the subject.</p><p>"Nice little spread in New Mexico," Jesse answered. "We've been paying on it for years. Set foot on it about… twice?"</p><p>"Gonna raise horses," Cesar added. "And if that goes bust, Jesse used to be an EMT."</p><p>"Oh, so now I'm supporting your ass?" Jesse laughed.</p><p>Cesar chuckled and looked at Jesse lovingly before both men turned to the Winchesters.</p><p>"It's time to start living." Cesar smiled.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Cesar and Jesse's car rolled away, leaving the Sam, Dean, Angela, and Grace inside the Impala.</p><p>"Couldn't do it, huh, babe?" Sam looked down at his wife.</p><p>Angela shook her head. "No, didn't feel right."</p><p>"Yeah. I know what you mean." Sam nodded. "Two hunters, who make it to the finish line?"</p><p>"Yeah, you leave that alone." Dean agreed as he started the car and drove off.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Don't Call Me Shurley Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Dean was ironing a white shirt and sprinkled beer on it before he took a swig from the bottle. Angela was nearby, preparing Grace's breakfast. Sam walked in looking at a news article on his tablet.</p><p>"Oh, perfect. We're gonna need our suits." Sam said. "And I called Jody, she said she can babysit Grace."</p><p>"Tell me you got something on Amara," Angela replied.</p><p>"Uh, it's a long shot, but the clock's ticking, right?" Sam shrugged. "Whatever Amara's doing to Lucifer."</p><p>"Yeah. Beating on Cas in the meantime." Dean muttered.</p><p>Sam handed his tablet to Dean to show him the article. "Yeah. Uh, Hope Springs, Idaho. A guy named Wes Cooper killed himself after killing a coworker. According to the reports, though, nobody knows why. Apparently, he was a perfectly happy guy, and then… snap."</p><p>"So, what? Possession?" Angela asked curiously.</p><p>"Or he was soulless." Sam shrugged.</p><p>"It ain't much, but given what we got, I'll take it." Dean handed the tablet back to Sam.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>Dean handed Sam his shirt and smiled. "There you go." He said before walking away.</p><p>"Thanks." Sam looked quizzical and sniffed his shirt. "Dude, quit ironing my shirts with beer!"</p><p>Sam chased after his brother and Angela just chuckled.</p><p>"Uncle Dean and Daddy are silly, aren't they?" Angela set a plate down in front of Grace.</p><p>"Silly!" Grace repeated with a giggle.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Hope Springs, Idaho</em>
</p><p>"Appreciate the FBI taking an interest in this case," Mac started. "We don't really see things like this around here."</p><p>"Hey, you mind if I knock off, Sheriff?" Jan called from her desk.</p><p>"Let me guess—Art's back?" Mac asked before looking up at the hunters. "Newlyweds." He muttered, earning a chuckle from Dean. "You can go home after you show Agent Greer and Agent Hope the M.E. files."</p><p>"Thank you, sir." Jan beamed.</p><p>"Thanks." Angela nodded as she and Sam walked toward Jan's desk.</p><p>"What do you have on Wes Cooper?" Dean asked curiously.</p><p>"I talked to his friends, family. Nobody can make heads or tails on why he did this." Mac sighed heavily. "We have a witness who overheard Wes before he took his own life. He was saying things that sounded out of character."</p><p>"Yeah? How so?"</p><p>"Wes said that his life was meaningless, nobody loved him," Mac recalled. "It was like every negative thought he ever had came spilling out. The thing is…"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"I knew Wes's wife," Jan told Sam and Angela. "We sang in choir together. She loved Wes till the day she died. I don't know why he'd say anything like that. And then there's this."</p><p>Sam noticed that Wes's veins were black in the autopsy photos. "Hold on a second. I've actually seen something like that before. Deputy, tell us, have you noticed any strange phenomena around town? Uh, sulfur smells, or power outages? Maybe an unexplained fog?"</p><p>"No, sir." Jan shook her head. "It's always sunny in Hope Springs. At least, it used to be."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Mac stood by his police van watching the forensic team take the body into the van with a worried look on his face. Sam, Dean, and Angela drove up to the crime scene in the Impala. Dean cut the engine and the three hunters got out of the Impala, walking over to Mac.</p><p>"Sorry I woke you three," he apologized.</p><p>"No, no, it's all right," Angela assured. "Just, uh, why don't you tell us what happened here?"</p><p>"Harris didn't show up for work this morning," Mac replied. "We called, tried her CB, nothing. So, I swung by here. I found Art on the kitchen floor, Harris's shotgun right next to him. She… It looks like Deputy Harris shot her husband point-blank in the face. Then left the scene."</p><p>"Did you notice anything off about Deputy Harris's behavior the last couple days?" Angela inquired.</p><p>"No. Nothing at all."</p><p>"When was the last time anyone heard from her?" Sam asked.</p><p>"Called in for the last time yesterday," Mac recalled. "Said something about… seeing some fog rolling in. I don't know why she cared about the damn weather."</p><p>"Would you get into contact with your dispatcher?" Dean asked. "Tell her to let us know if she gets any more reports like that again."</p><p>"You serious?" Mac scoffed.</p><p>"Yeah, just to be safe." Dean nodded.</p><p>"And do you have any idea where Harris might be now?" Sam questioned.</p><p>"No," Mac shook his head. "But we can track her vehicle from our office."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela were back at the police station and followed Mac to his desk.</p><p>"I can't make heads or tails," Mac started as he struggled with the computer. "Harris is… <em>was</em> our computer person."</p><p>"Can I give it a shot?" Sam asked, taking Mac's place at the desk.</p><p>"Sheriff," one of the officers called as she hung up the phone. "Matt and Emmy just called in. They said they saw some fog rolling in by Jasper Hills."</p><p>"Did they say where it was headed?" Dean asked.</p><p>"West. Toward town."</p><p>"Okay, call them back, tell them to get inside, shut their windows and doors, and seal it up. And stay the hell away from that fog." Angela instructed firmly. "Then get the word out to everybody in town. They need to do the same thing."</p><p>"Hold on," Mac frowned. "What are you talking about?"</p><p>"My partners and I have seen this before, okay?" Angela stressed. "Wes, Deputy Harris, they were infected by something in this fog. Now, I know it sounds crazy—</p><p>"No, it sounds like we should call the CDC." Mac interrupted.</p><p>"There's no time for that." Dean shook his head.</p><p>"Found Deputy Harris." Sam pointed at the computer.</p><p>"She's on Main Street," Mac's brows furrowed in confusion. "Heading right this way."</p><p>"All right, we'll handle Harris," Angela called out as she and the boys started heading outside. "Just please, get the word out, tell everybody they need to stay inside, seal up their windows, their doors—everything. Do it."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela were walking toward the van as Jan started to get out.</p><p>Dean patted Sam on the arm. "Hey, get them out of here."</p><p>Sam walked up to the pedestrians nearby and flashed his FBI badge. "Agent Greer, FBI. I need you to get inside immediately. Go." He escorted them to the police station.</p><p>Jan gripped her pistol tightly and the black veins have spread throughout her body. Dean and Angela awaited Jan's exit, holding their guns.</p><p>"I tried to kill myself," Jan started blankly. "But she won't let me. She has a message—for you, Angela Winchester."</p><p>"Amara?" Angela's brows furrowed. "Is she here?"</p><p>"No." Jan shook her head. "But her words have been echoing in my head ever since I took a breath of that fog."</p><p>"Did she tell you to kill your husband?" Dean question.</p><p>"And I watched myself do it," Jan replied as tears welled up in her eyes.</p><p>"Okay, listen to me, this is an infection," Sam started. "Put the gun down, let us help you—</p><p>"It's not an infection." Jan cut him off. "She says, it's a mirror. She's showing us all the truth."</p><p>"Darkness." Angela breathed out.</p><p>"The light was just a lie." Jan raised her gun and aimed it at Angela.</p><p>Suddenly, Jan was shot in the chest twice, and she leaned back on the mirror of her car as she fell to the ground. The three hunters turned around to see Mac holding his gun. Angela walked over and leaned down to check on Jan.</p><p>"It will all be over soon," Jan whispered. "He's not gonna save them. It's all going away… forever. But not you, Angela."</p><p>Angela stared blankly at Jan as she died. Sam looked down the street and noticed something.</p><p>"Angie! Angie!" Sam yelled as he pointed at the sky.</p><p>Angela turned around and noticed fog rolling up from the street and the three hunters stared in horror.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0040"><h2>40. Don't Call Me Shurley Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam ran up to a nearby red car and pounded at their window before opening the door. "Hey, you got to go! Get!"</p><p>The man and woman exited the car and Sam moved to the backseat to get the couple's baby girl out. Sam started undoing her car seat.</p><p>"Hey, sweetheart." Sam cooed. "Okay, we're gonna get you out of here. We're gonna get you safe, okay?" Sam assured as he noticed the fog getting closer. "Don't worry, okay? Give me your hands," he instructed, and the baby reached up. "Oh. Thank you so much. Okay. Okay." Sam lifted her out of the car seat.</p><p>"Thank you," the woman said sincerely as she reached for her daughter.</p><p>"What the hell is going on?" the man demanded.</p><p>"Just get out of here, okay?" Sam instructed as he handed the woman her baby.</p><p>"What's this fog doing?"</p><p>"Just get inside, now! Go, go!" Sam yelled.</p><p>The man and woman ran to the police station with their baby. Sam turned around and saw two people enveloped by the fog. Angela and Dean ran over and tried to get Sam away from the fog.</p><p>"Come on, Sam, Sam. Let them go." Dean stressed.</p><p>Dean, Sam, and Angela ran away from the fog and the two people enveloped by the fog started coughing violently. The fog started to envelop the entire street as the three hunters got into the police station. Sam, Dean, and Angela looked around and Mac was trying to use the radio.</p><p>"Agent Ehart?" Mac called out. "Radio's dead."</p><p>"You have any duct tape?" Dean asked.</p><p>Sam looked outside as the fog enveloped the entire town. He noticed two people trying to run from the fog, but one of them collapsed to the ground.</p><p>"Sam? Sammy?!" Angela exclaimed to get his attention.</p><p>Sam turned around and Angela threw him a roll of duct tape. Dean, Sam, Angela, and Mac started to seal all of the cracks in the windows, doors, and vents. The civilians stared in horror. Mac checked in on everyone while the hunters continued to seal the windows. Angela finished sealing a vent with duct tape and the three hunters noticed that there was no signal on their phones.</p><p>"Sheriff, let's see if we can't fix that radio of yours." Angela walked away to check on the radio.</p><p>The fog started to push through the duct tape on the vent and a piece of duct tape was pushed off, allowing the fog to roll inside. Angela and Mac were trying to find a way to get the radio to work while Sam and Dean stared out the window.</p><p>"Angie?" Sam called out.</p><p>Angela looked up and walked over to the brothers with a roll of duct tape. The three of them started to hear a lot of screaming and shouting.</p><p>"You hear that?" Dean frowned deeply.</p><p>Dean, Sam, and Angela walked over to the front doors and the shouting intensified. Sam locked the door as two people infected by the fog walked up to the door and attempted to break-in. The three hunters ran into another room and closed the doors as they heard the glass break from the front doors. Sam, Dean, and Angela noticed the fog coming from the vent Dean sealed.</p><p>"Guys," Sam ran over and tried to seal the vent again.</p><p>Angela knocked off a metal leg from the metal table next to her and used it to prevent the door from opening from the outside. Sam and Dean started to cough and the baby girl started to cry. Angela noticed the fog enveloping the brothers and Mac walked into the room. They noticed the black veins appearing on Sam and Dean's hands.</p><p>"Sam! Dean!" Angela rushed over to the brothers.</p><p>"Folks, we need to stay together, okay?" Mac told the civilians.</p><p>"Sam, Dean… Oh, God." Angela muttered.</p><p>Sam grunted slightly. "No, no, baby."</p><p>"Get back, kid! Don't!" Dean gasped out.</p><p>"My god, they're infected." Mac's eyes widened.</p><p>"Everybody, get inside!" Angela yelled.</p><p>"Everybody!" Mac started leading people to the other room.</p><p>Sam and Dean were still coughing while the baby girl continued crying.</p><p>"Come on. Let's move. Come on," Mac instructed as two infected people tried to break through. Mac looked at Angela. "Come on! Let's go! Get in here!"</p><p>"No!" Angela snapped. "I'm not leaving them!"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>A brick was thrown through a window next to Sam and Dean, allowing more fog to come in through the window. Angela was sealing the door that the civilians were hiding behind. Sam managed to pick up a board in order to use it to block the window. Sam tripped and started to cough even more. Angela turned around and went to check on the brothers before she could finish sealing the door.</p><p>"Guys! Hey!" Angela exclaimed worriedly. "Listen to me!"</p><p>"We're not gonna make it," Dean muttered.</p><p>"No, no, no," Angela shook her head. "There's no quitting here."</p><p>"We're never gonna make it," Dean repeated blankly.</p><p>"Dean, listen to me," Angela started firmly. "That's not you talking. It's the fog."</p><p>"You were gonna choose Amara over me." Sam looked up at his wife. "Over everything."</p><p>"Sammy, no." Angela shook her head.</p><p>"I'm sorry, baby," Sam breathed out. "I didn't mean that, Angie. I can't fight this. You got to go. You have to get out before you're infected."</p><p>The fog started to move toward the room with all the civilians and slipped through the crack that Angela forgot to seal.</p><p>"Kid, go before we hurt you," Dean grunted.</p><p>"No, I'm not leaving you guys—ever!" Angela snapped.</p><p>Angela inhaled deeply and noticed that the fog wasn't affecting her. She turned around and noticed that the fog had reached the civilians. Angela became enraged and looked up at the sky. "Stop this! You hear me, you dick?!"</p><p>Suddenly, the screaming and banging came to a stop.</p><p>"No. No. No!" Angela looked at Sam and Dean. "Hey, hey, guys, look at me. Look at me. I'm right here. I'm right here. Okay, it's okay. It's all right. I'm right here. I'm right here."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Suddenly, Angela noticed something glowing in Sam's jacket pocket. She took it out and the hunters noticed that the item glowing in his pocket was Dean's amulet. Sam, Dean, and Angela stared at it and then each other. Sam and Dean looked at their hands and the black veins started to clear up.</p><p>Mac and the civilians walked out of the room unaffected by the fog, which seemed to have cleared up in the police station. Sam, Dean, and Angela stood up and looked at the amulet again.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela walked outside the police station and they noticed that the fog had cleared up. They looked at the glowing amulet again as they walked down the steps.</p><p>As they walked, the three hunters noticed that Jan was alive and the black veins were gone. Jan noticed that Art was alive and embraced him tightly.</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela continued walking down the street and they noticed someone helping one of the victims get up.</p><p>"You okay?" Chuck asked gently.</p><p>"Thanks." The pedestrian replied before sprinting over to her mom. "Mom!"</p><p>Chuck turned around and the three hunters looked at the brightly glowing amulet. Sam, Dean, and Angela stared at Chuck in shock and awe.</p><p>Chuck started walking toward the hunters. "We should probably talk."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0041"><h2>41. All in the Family Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Hope Springs, Idaho</em>
</p><p>"What the hell's going on here, exactly?" Angela demanded, still holding the glowing amulet.</p><p>"I'm happy to… fill in the blanks, but maybe we should go somewhere we could actually sit down," Chuck suggested.</p><p>"We're not going anywhere with you." Dean retorted. "Okay, how do we even know that you're really Chuck and not just some…"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Suddenly, they were all in the main room of the bunker.</p><p>"Crazy spell or manifest…ation." Dean finished as he looked around.</p><p>Suddenly, Kevin appeared just behind Chuck's shoulder and Sam's eyes widened.</p><p>"Kevin?"</p><p>"Guys! You're looking stressed," he noted. "Especially you," Kevin said to Angela. "I-it's cool. Trust Chuck. Whatever it is he needs you to do, he must think you can handle it. I always trusted you."</p><p>"Yeah, that ended well." Angela scoffed lightly.</p><p>"How did you—Are you okay, or—uh?" Sam stuttered.</p><p>"Um… Yeah." Kevin nodded. "I mean, you know, given the circumstances."</p><p>"Yeah, I don't mean to interrupt," Chuck cut in. "Kind of a plateful here. And, Kevin… you've been in the Veil long enough. It's time you had an upgrade," he waved his hand and Kevin transformed into a soul-light, ascending through the ceiling.</p><p>"Holy crap." Dean breathed out.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Okay. So, wow, um, Chuck," Sam chuckled. "Well, I guess we don't call you that, huh?"</p><p>"I prefer it," Chuck replied.</p><p>"Okay, uh, <em>'Chuck'</em> it is," Sam sighed awkwardly. "I'm sorry. You're gonna have to give us a moment to start to process. We didn't even know you were around. I mean, we knew about Chuck, but we didn't know about… <em>Chuck.</em> I mean, I—I—I was <em>hoping</em> you were around," he rambled. "I—I—I prayed and I… but I don't know if they got, uh, lost in the spam or if—</p><p>"Sammy?" Angela cut her husband off.</p><p>"Yeah?" he looked down at her.</p><p>"Babbling." She replied softly.</p><p>"Okay." Sam nodded, clearing his throat.</p><p>"I'm getting that not everyone's totally on board." Chuck looked between Angela and Dean.</p><p>"Here's the thing, um… Chuck… And I mean no disrespect," Angela started. "Um… I'm guessing you came back to help with the Darkness, and that's great. That's, you know—it's fantastic. Um, but you've been gone a—a… long, long time. And there's so much crap that has gone down on Earth for thousands of years. I mean, plagues and wars, slaughters. And you were, I don't know, writing books, going to fan conventions. Were you even aware, o-or did you just tune it out?"</p><p>"I was aware, Angela," Chuck admitted.</p><p>"But you did nothing." Angela breathed out. "And, again, I-I'm not trying to piss you off. You know, I don't want to turn into a pillar of salt."</p><p>"I actually… didn't do that."</p><p>"Okay. People—People pray to you," Dean interjected. "People build churches for you. They fight wars in your name, and you did nothing."</p><p>"You're frustrated. I get it." Chuck nodded. "Believe me, I was hands-on—Real hands-on for, wow, ages. I was so sure if I kept stepping in, teaching, punishing, that these beautiful creatures that I created… would grow up. But it only stayed the same. And I saw that I needed to step away and let my baby find its way. Being over-involved is no longer parenting," he sighed heavily. "It's enabling."</p><p>"But it didn't get better," Dean argued.</p><p>"Well," Chuck leaned forward. "I've been mulling it over. And from where I sit, I think it has."</p><p>"Well, from where I sit, it feels like you left us and you're trying to justify it," Dean muttered.</p><p>"I know you had a complicated upbringing, Dean, but don't confuse me with your dad," Chuck replied firmly.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"You have to understand this about the Darkness," Chuck started. "She's relentless, a force beyond human comprehension. It's the only reason I came off the sidelines."</p><p>"Must have been great being her brother, huh?" Sam muttered.</p><p>"I was the worst. Always telling me what to do, making me do what she wanted." Chuck replied. "I mean, you guys know how that works."</p><p>"So, where is she?" Angela asked.</p><p>"No freakin' idea," Chuck scoffed. "She's warded herself specifically against me. What have you come up with?"</p><p>"Zip, and we've been at it for months," Dean answered.</p><p>"Well… matter of time. I've always had faith in you…" he trailed off, looking pointedly at Dean and Angela. "Even if you didn't return the favor. Where's the guest room? I could use a shower."</p><p>Sam's brows furrowed slightly. "Uh, it's, um… just down the hallway—the fourth door on the left."</p><p>Lucifer nodded in thanks and stood up, his back now to the Winchesters.</p><p>Angela sighed heavily. "Hey, Chuck. You know she's got Lucifer, right?"</p><p>"Uh-huh," Chuck replied flatly.</p><p>"The way we heard it, um… last time when you bottled up the Darkness, it—it took more than just you." Sam stammered nervously. "I mean, we heard that Lucifer was involved."</p><p>"No," Chuck replied sternly.</p><p>"No?" Dean's brows shot up.</p><p>"Lucifer was perhaps my greatest hope and my bitterest disappointment," Chuck turned to face the hunters. "Do you think if I could have trusted him for a moment, I would have put him in the Cage? And I wasn't gonna mention this, but thank you so much for springing him."</p><p>"That wasn't really part of the plan, um…" Sam fidgeted.</p><p>"Now, as bad as he was, after all this time in prison, he's probably worse." Chuck continued. "And by now, he could have formed an alliance with Amara. Not walking into that trap, guys. So, no. Thus spake the Lord."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>At the bunker, Angela sat at the map table looking at her laptop. She sighed heavily. "Come on, Amara. Where are you?"</p><p>Suddenly, Angela was struck by a vision of Amara appearing to her.</p><p>"I've missed you, Angela," Amara started. "It's been a while since we've spoken. I'm aware my brother has surfaced. If you should cross paths, if he should reach out to you, he should know this—Lucifer, his favorite, isn't doing so well," she explained as Lucifer appeared, tortured and beaten. "To say nothing of the vessel, your friend Castiel. By choosing to ignore me, my brother is allowing this to happen. This and… other things. I thought you should know."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Dean sat at the table that morning working on their laptops. Angela entered the room and sat down next to her husband.</p><p>"Anything?" she asked, handing the brothers each a cup of coffee.</p><p>"Nada." Sam accepted the drink. "Thanks, baby. I, uh, I did talk to Jody. She said Grace can stay with her for a little bit longer."</p><p>Angela sipped her coffee and nodded. "We'll have to send her like, a gift basket or something."</p><p>Sam nodded in agreement. "You know, I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but for once, I actually wish Rowena was here. I mean, maybe she could track down Amara. She's done it before."</p><p>"Yeah, but you can bet she and the Book are gonna stay stashed until this whole thing is over," Dean muttered.</p><p>"Where's Chuck?" Angela asked curiously.</p><p>Sam shrugged. "Sleeping in, I guess."</p><p>"Does God sleep?" Dean's brows furrowed.</p><p>"I know he takes really long showers," Sam muttered.</p><p>"Right, and sings, too—like, crappy old folk songs. I had to tell him to cool it three times." Dean scoffed.</p><p>"You told God to cool it?" Sam's brows shot up in disbelief.</p><p>"Yeah, I sleep." Dean shrugged as he sipped his coffee.</p><p>"You know, I know this is a really strange situation and all, but it's also really amazing, you know? I mean, it's God." Sam chuckled. "There's so many things I want to ask him, uh, like, uh, t-the planets, you know? Why are they round? Or ears. I always thought they were strange—</p><p>"Baby, you're rambling again." Angela interrupted. "Let's stay focused. We got to find Lucifer before it's too late."</p><p>"Too late?" Sam asked in confusion.</p><p>"Amara is—she's in my head," Angela admitted, earning sharp looks from the brothers. "Hey, I didn't ask for it, okay? She just showed up. But she's showing me visions of—of Lucifer. By Lucifer, I mean Cas, and he looks like crap—like she's really doing a number on him."</p><p>"Shh." Sam hushed Angela as Chuck walked in, carrying a box of donuts. "Hey. Morning."</p><p>Dean frowned deeply. "Is that my robe?"</p><p>"I'm telling you guys, it's a mistake to get mixed up with Lucifer," Chuck warned. "Much as it pained me, I had to walk away. Too much drama. Do you have any bacon?"</p><p>"You eat bacon?" Dean grinned.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Hey, guys," Sam cut in. "This just came up. Looks like that fog, the, um… Amara fog, uh, hit another town."</p><p>"And?" Angela asked.</p><p>"And this one wasn't as lucky as the last one." Sam pursed his lips. "Thousands died. Uh, everybody died. But, uh, except for one man."</p><p>Dean looked up at Chuck scornfully. "How'd you miss that one?"</p><p>"She's baiting me." Chuck took a bite from his donut. "I can't respond every time. I won't be manipulated."</p><p>"Yeah, but thousands of people are dead," Angela argued.</p><p>"Unfortunately." Chuck nodded. "So, find her."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela were driving in the Impala when Dean's phone started ringing. Dean frowned when it said, 'scribe calling.'</p><p>"What?" Dean answered the phone.</p><p><em>"I noticed you've been in touch with Chuck,"</em> Metatron started. <em>"Well, I've got some… information you're gonna need to know."</em></p><p>"Okay, say it." Dean rolled his eyes.</p><p><em>"No,"</em> Metatron replied. <em>"It's got to be in person—something I got to show you."</em></p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lewis, Oklahoma</em>
</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela walked into the police station dressed in their FBI apparel.</p><p>"Professor Redfield. FBI." Dean introduced as they flashed their badges.</p><p>"Call me Donatello. Yeah. I'm named after him." The man chuckled.</p><p>Dean's brows furrowed in confusion. "The… Mutant Ninja Turtle?"</p><p>Sam gave Dean a sharp look and Angela had to stifle her laughter.</p><p>"The, uh, Renaissance sculptor." Donatello corrected.</p><p>"Right, of course." Dean nodded.</p><p>"The cops think I'm a terrorist," Donatello started as they all sat down. "I—I teach chemistry at the university. I-I lead a quiet life. I have a cat!" he exclaimed before realizing. "Had a cat."</p><p>"Well, we are, uh, very sorry for your loss." Angela apologized. "Just a few questions. Um, other than the fog, did you notice anything or anyone that seemed out of place on the street that night?"</p><p>"It—it all happened so fast," Donatello started. "I, uh… It was like it came out of nowhere. We hardly ever get fog, and never like that." He chuckled. "It was horrible. They were clutching their throats like—like—like they were choking. And, oh. Their bodies—oh my God—these terrible black streaks," he recalled. "And that's when it happened. It was like nothing I've ever felt before in my life. It was like my head was exploding, only not with pain—with—with—with knowledge and—and clarity! Things that I'd never known before. Symbols and—and voices—in languages I don't speak! Then… horrible… horrible visions… of destruction… and death. You think I'm crazy."</p><p>"No, uh, not at all," Sam assured. "Just, uh, you know, will you give us a moment?"</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela walked over to the refreshment table to talk amongst themselves.</p><p>"I mean, you guys get that this is all sounding familiar, right?" Sam muttered.</p><p>"Yeah." Dean nodded. "Yeah, like when Kevin found out he was a prophet. So, what, this guy's a prophet?"</p><p>Sam's brows furrowed slightly. "Yeah, but I thought Crowley rounded up all the future prophets and tried to kill them."</p><p>"Yeah, but we rescued them and Donatello wasn't a part of that, but, yeah, it's possible Crowley missed a few." Angela shrugged.</p><p>"And, obviously, he had no idea he was next in line after Kevin, so…" Sam trailed off.</p><p>"How would he?" Dean asked. "He hadn't gotten hit by the God power. So, Amara's fog—could it have been Amara's God power?"</p><p>"It's still God power." Sam reasoned.</p><p>"All right, I need a coffee." Angela sighed heavily.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded before he and Dean went back to the table.</p><p>"Um… am—am I under arrest?" Donatello asked worriedly.</p><p>"No, just, um… want to check out a few more aspects of your story," Sam replied. "Here we go," he placed a notebook with Enochian on it in front of Donatello. "Would you look at this? Try and read it a little."</p><p>"Oh, I can't. I—I don't know anything about it." Donatello looked at the symbols for a moment. "Behold the face of God." He recited, looking up at Sam and Dean, clearly shocked. "That came right to me. Who speaks this language?"</p><p>"Angels," Dean answered.</p><p>Angela was pouring herself a cup of coffee when she was struck by another vision of Amara.</p><p>"I need to see you, Angela," she started. "Events are moving swiftly and everything will change. I need to meet with you, but not like this. Somewhere alone."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>The hunters and Donatello were speeding down the dark road in the Impala.</p><p>"I can't be a prophet," Donatello stressed. "I'm an atheist and a chemist! I—I believe in molecules, not God."</p><p>"All right, well, we're pretty sure that prophets don't even know they're in the game until they've actually been touched by God, so…" Dean trailed off.</p><p>"I—I was touched by God?" Donatello touched his forehead.</p><p>"Or possibly his sister, Amara," Angela replied.</p><p>"He has family?" Donatello's eyes widened.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded. "She wants him gone so she can annihilate the universe. That's the headline."</p><p>"What?!"</p><p>"And since you might have a hotline to her, we're hoping you can help us find her," Angela added.</p><p>Donatello looked at her like she was crazy. "W-Why would you want to find her?"</p><p>"We got to rescue this guy she's holding," Sam answered.</p><p>"Who is it?"</p><p>"Lucifer," Dean replied bluntly.</p><p>"Her nephew," Sam added.</p><p>"Who's possessing an angel at the moment." Angela finished.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded.</p><p>"Oh," Donatello muttered before he tried the door handle.</p><p>"It's locked," Sam noted as Donatello tried the other door.</p><p>"Yeah, that, too," Dean said. "Sometimes we keep monsters in the back."</p><p>"I—I—I can't do this!" Donatello stammered.</p><p>"Yeah, you can," Angela assured.</p><p>"No, I promise you, I can't."</p><p>"Look," Dean rolled his eyes. "We can't force you to do this. You've got to want this."</p><p>"It—it's like asking me to believe in Santa Claus." Donatello retorted.</p><p>"Oh, well, actually—</p><p>"Dean, not now." Sam interrupted.</p><p>"Okay, look, we—we're not asking you to believe that this is true," Dean huffed. "Just act like you do. People do it all the time."</p><p>Suddenly, Donatello stilled, then shuddered.</p><p>"What?" Sam questioned.</p><p>"I—I don't know. I—I think I'm sensing something. Something big."</p><p>"Like Amara?" Sam asked.</p><p>"I don't think so." Donatello shook his head. "Although, how would I know? Could it be… Him?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Back at the bunker, Chuck sat at the map table watching TV on Dean's laptop. The bunker door opened and closed, and Dean descended down the stairs.</p><p>"Hey, Chuck," he started. "We, uh, found someone. I think he's the next prophet."</p><p>"Neat-o." Chuck grinned.</p><p>Dean's brows furrowed. "Is that my computer?"</p><p>"I've never seen so much porn," Chuck replied. "Not in one sitting."</p><p>"It's—I'm gonna…" Dean carefully closed the laptop. "So, uh, listen. He—He's—He's a little nutted out about the whole booga-booga of it all, so maybe just dial back the—the God stuff." He explained as the bunker door opened. "No pants on. Sam? Angie?"</p><p>"Yeah?" the couple called out simultaneously.</p><p>"Yeah." Dean nodded.</p><p>"All right, you're safe. Come on." Sam pushed Donatello lightly.</p><p>Chucked sighed and stood up. "Donatello, good to see ya. Sorry about your cat."</p><p>Donatello's eyes widened in surprise. "You—you know me?"</p><p>"I made you," Chuck replied. "I made all of you, even the ones who aren't born yet."</p><p>"Oh, my God," Donatello gasped. "It's you. G-Good to meet you, Sir! Your—your celestial magnificence, your—</p><p>"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay," Angela tried to calm the man down. "He—He just kind of goes by Chuck."</p><p>"So, we good? You all signed up?" Chuck asked.</p><p>"Uh… I—I—I guess you know that I was an atheist, until 10 minutes ago." Donatello stammered nervously. "Is that an issue?"</p><p>"Not for me. I mean, I believe in me." Chuck shrugged. "But your skepticism is to be expected. I did include free will in the kit." He chuckled. "Welcome aboard."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Oh, uh, barkeep, tres margaritas!" Metatron called out as the three hunters walked into the bar. "Top-shelf tequila please for my amigos. Their treat."</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela came to sit by Metatron.</p><p>"All right. We're here. Don't try to pull any crap." Sam warned.</p><p>"And what variety of crap could I possibly pull?" Metatron scoffed. "I've lost my grace. Look at me. I got nothing."</p><p>"Okay, why did you have to see us? What's so urgent?" Angela demanded.</p><p>Metatron sighed heavily. "So, I, uh, notice you've been in touch with Chuck. A.K.A., you know who."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah." Sam rolled his eyes. "Is this going anywhere? Yes, Chuck agreed to take on Amara."</p><p>"He said that? Used those words?" Metatron asked.</p><p>"Pretty much." Sam shrugged.</p><p>"Huh."</p><p>"So, what—he's not confronting Amara?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"Oh, no. No, no, no. He's—He's going to—He's gonna… meet with her." Metatron nodded. "He's just not gonna take her down. He's gonna… sacrifice himself. Let her do what she wants with him."</p><p>"Do you really expect us to buy this?" Sam narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"No. Of course not. Here. Buy this." Metatron tossed the manuscript in front of Sam with a loud thud. "Ignore the typos, but read it. It's in his own words. It's not an autobiography. It's a suicide note."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0042"><h2>42. All in the Family Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At a park, children were playing in a sandbox and laughing together. Chuck sat on a park bench eating popcorn when Angela walked up.</p><p>"You wanted to talk. This seems as good a place as any." Chuck said as he watched a boy playing in the sandbox with blocks. "Look at him—endlessly optimistic. The wind blows over his tower, he rebuilds. Always gets me."</p><p>"If that's so, why are you bailing?" Angela asked quietly. "When you see Amara, you're throwing in the towel?"</p><p>Chuck sighed and shook his head. "Metatron. Loose lips. But you think I'm a dick. Why do you care?"</p><p>"Because before you went MIA…you did a lot," Angela replied as she sat down next to Chuck.</p><p>"Thank you," he replied sincerely. "And what you call throwing in the towel, I call strategy."</p><p>"How is death by your sister a strategy?" Angela asked with a frown.</p><p>"I know her. Her beef is with me."</p><p>"Yeah, but I still don't understand how—how dying is a—a blueprint for success." Angela stuttered.</p><p>"I won't be dying. I'll be caged." Chuck corrected. "I trade myself for… everything I created. It goes on."</p><p>"Okay, well, the, um, Amara that I know is… a mountain of—of pissed off," Angela replied. "I mean, she spent a—a gazillion years in solitary. The only thing she's thinking is—is it's her turn."</p><p>"And I'll give it to her," Chuck nodded. "As long as she accepts the deal."</p><p>"The deal?" Angela's brows furrowed. "What… She's gonna eliminate you, and then she's gonna destroy everything that you've created. She's told me this personally. You started this. You started all of this, but does that give you the right to end it? You know, we're not just some toys you throw away. I think you owe us more than that."</p><p>"If my plan doesn't work, then humans will step up." Chuck shrugged. "You, Sam, Dean, others that are the chosen will have to find a way. You're the firewall between light and darkness."</p><p>"No." Angela shook her head. "No, I… Look, give me a—a vampire, and I'm good. But this—God's sister? That is way above my paygrade. I… It… Bottom line is i-it's you who has to take her out. And look, then after that, you know, get a condo in Cancun. I don't care!"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Back at the bunker, Donatello sat at the map table when Angela walked in carrying a few beers.</p><p>"I got you a beer," she offered. "I don't know if you drink."</p><p>"I do now," Donatello replied as he gratefully took the drink.</p><p>"Well…" Angela sighed as she set the other drinks down and sat at the table. "I don't know…if Chuck is leaning our way."</p><p>Donatello's eyebrows shot up. "You don't know?"</p><p>"If we do get Lucifer for the added muscle, then… maybe he'll play ball."</p><p>"I thought they hated each other." Donatello frowned.</p><p>"Yeah, they do." Angela took a swig from her drink.</p><p>The door opened and Metatron, Sam, and Dean entered.</p><p>"Wow," Donatello muttered. "I so miss being an atheist."</p><p>"All right, Metatron," Sam started. "Make it quick. Don't touch anything."</p><p>"Fine," Metatron grumbled. "Angela! Thanks for inviting me."</p><p>"Inviting you?" Angela scoffed as Sam and Dean sat down. "You've been circling the building all night. You sent me 200 text messages with dumbass emojis. You got three minutes."</p><p>"Oh. Donatello!" Metatron shook the man's hand before sitting down next to Sam. "Pleasure to meet you. Metatron, scribe of God. I was there when you were designed. I wrote your name on the inside of the angels' eyelids."</p><p>"He's freaking me out," Donatello commented.</p><p>"Okay," Angela huffed. "You said you wanted to help."</p><p>"Besides world-class douchery, what do you have to offer?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"Oh, nothing." Metatron shrugged. "I just transcribed the angel tablet and know all the spells. And I know what makes Amara tick. And I had a relationship with the big guy for eons. Shall I keep going?"</p><p>Metatron picked up a beer on the table and started to bring it to his lips. Sam lunged forward.</p><p>"Ah! That's mine!" he snatched the drink from the ex-angel. "As much as I hate to admit this… he kind of has a point."</p><p>"I don't know," Dean muttered.</p><p>Metatron scoffed. "You need all the help you can get—even douche help."</p><p>"And since when did you jump on the God wagon?" Angela demanded. "You never used to give a damn."</p><p>"Well, I didn't—at one time. Now that he's gone all kamikaze, leaving us with the Darkness, I…" Metatron sighed heavily. "I was by his side since the creation. He believed in me. If there's something I can do to help save him and his creation, then… uh, it seems like I should."</p><p>"The plan is to rescue Lucifer from Amara," Angela started. "Then he teleports us out of Amara's hideout and we convince Chuck to use him to fight her."</p><p>"That's your plan?" Metatron scoffed again. "Do you even know where Amara is?"</p><p>"Um, I think I might know where she is." Donatello chimed in. "I've been getting this vibe. Uh, it's like a ping in my cerebral cortex."</p><p>"Oh, so either Amara or a stroke." Metatron sassed. "And how are we supposed to keep Amara busy while we're… liberating Lucifer?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela stood alone in the woods, waiting for Amara to appear.</p><p>"Thank you for reaching out to me, Angela," Amara said suddenly.</p><p>"You said you wanted to meet," Angela replied.</p><p>"I missed you," Amara stepped closer to the hunter. "And the… sensations you arouse. I know you feel the same way. So… what do we do?"</p><p>"There can be no us." Angela shook her head. "We should just walk away."</p><p>"Then why don't you?" Amara challenged.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Metatron, and Donatello pulled up to the building and Dean shut the engine off. They walked into the building to see Lucifer tied to a railing, bloody and beaten.</p><p>"Oh, good. The Scooby Gang. Search and rescue?" Lucifer panted before his eyes fell on Donatello. "Oh, wow. It's one of Dad's favorites. Your ticket finally got punched, huh? It's wacky, isn't it? One minute, you're… nobody. And then—Shazam—you're Joan of Arc. Let's, uh—Let's hope this ends better than that."</p><p>"All right, can the small talk," Dean cut in. "We're busting you out of here."</p><p>"Well, it seems fair since I wouldn't be here if you lunatics hadn't set me up to be grabbed by Amara." Lucifer sassed.</p><p>"You're gonna help us take her down," Sam replied. "If you say no, we'll just leave you here in Abu Ghraib."</p><p>Lucifer chuckled and coughed violently. "Say no? You see what she's done to me? Do I look like a fan?!"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"This place," Amara started. "This world hasn't been especially easy for you. Why not at least consider my offer?"</p><p>"This world is flawed," Angela agreed. "I will give you that. But I am not ready to say goodbye to it just yet."</p><p>"But one way or the other, you will," Amara argued. "It's inevitable. My brother won't stop me again, because he can't. Angela, give up your… smallness, your humanity, and become boundless within me."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Eeroh, mahday saytah!" Metatron chanted.</p><p>"Did you grab this from the steno pool?" Lucifer asked.</p><p>"You understand you'll be working with your father." Sam reminded as Metatron continued chanting. "Is that gonna be a problem?"</p><p>Lucifer groaned slightly. "That's family. This is bigger."</p><p>"So, you'll table all the old stuff?" Sam questioned.</p><p>"What happens in Heaven stays in Heaven," Lucifer grunted.</p><p>"Kahtoh, mahday, tayroh!" Metatron chanted in concentration.</p><p>"Metatron, are we getting any closer?" Dean demanded. "Angie can't stall forever."</p><p>"I'm—I'm narrowing it down." Metatron stammered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"You're right. I am drawn to you." Angela admitted. "And it bothers the hell out of me, 'cause I can't control it."</p><p>"Then why fight it?" Amara asked as she walked toward Angela. "What you're feeling is that I am the end of your struggle." She cupped Angela cheek in her hand. "Something stops you. Keeps you from having it all."</p><p>Angela closed her eyes and tried to turn away from Amara, but couldn't bring herself to do it.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Sahboh, Taylah!" Metatron exclaimed and Lucifer was freed. "Oh, oh! Yes!"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Where are your thoughts?" Amara's brows furrowed. "Something's different."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Hey, Lucifer, zap us out of here—quick!" Dean exclaimed.</p><p>"Oh, no can do," Lucifer grunted.</p><p>Sam's eyes widened. "What do you mean you can't do it?!"</p><p>"Temporarily grounded. Equipment malfunction."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Amara started to back away from Angela, shaking her head. "You've spoken with God. You've seen him. You betrayed me."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Guys, I'm—I'm feeling her!" Donatello exclaimed. "She's coming!"</p><p>"All right, we're out of here," Sam said as he and Dean lifted Lucifer, each of them throwing an arm over their shoulders. "Okay. Come on."</p><p>"Metatron, come on!" Dean called out.</p><p>"It's okay, Dean," Metatron replied. "You go."</p><p>"What?!" Dean frowned. "Come on!"</p><p>"I'm serious. I got this." Metatron assured.</p><p>Dean nodded and he, Sam, Donatello, and Lucifer ran out of the building and tumbled into the Impala. The engine revved and the tires screeched as Dean sped off.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Dean was driving down the road when suddenly, Amara appeared in the middle of the street. Dean slammed on the breaks and the Impala's tires squealed loudly. Dean attempted to pull out in reverse, but Amara kept the car from moving and the tires started smoking.</p><p>"You really aren't worth sparking," Amara sneered. "None of you."</p><p>She raised her arms to strike the Impala when suddenly, the Impala dropped in place into the bunker's lower level.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"What happened?!" Donatello exclaimed from his place in the back seat.</p><p>Dean was the first one to exit the Impala and he waved the tire smoke away. Everyone else followed suit and they climbed up the stairs.</p><p>"Where are we?" Donatello asked.</p><p>Sam scoffed lightly as they entered the main room. "Home."</p><p>Chuck entered the room and set a six-pack down onto the map table. "Occasionally, I do answer a prayer."</p><p>Lucifer stumbled closer to Chuck and rested a hand on a railing to prop himself up. Chuck looked the archangel over as he opened one of his beers.</p><p>"You've changed."</p><p>"You've changed." Lucifer sneered.</p><p>"Well, still…. I'm really pretty much the same." Chuck shrugged as he flicked his wrist, healing Lucifer.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Donatello, Sam, Dean, and Angela were outside talking.</p><p>"Still twitchy, huh?" Dean asked. "Now, you've met God, Lucifer, and the Darkness. You're gonna need a spa day." He added, earning a chuckle from Donatello. "That or a pair of hookers."</p><p>Sam shot Dean an unamused look and Angela just shook her head as a smirk crossed Dean's face.</p><p>"Ah, I have to sort it all out to see what comes next," Donatello replied. "I don't feel much like returning to academia and… I sure as hell can't go back to being an atheist."</p><p>"Yeah, I hear you." Sam nodded as a taxi approached.</p><p>"Thank you… I guess." Donatello told the hunters. "And, uh… if there is a tomorrow… Given your line of work, I'll probably see you again."</p><p>"Stay tuned, we may need you," Sam replied.</p><p>Donatello got into the cab and it sped off, leaving the hunters alone.</p><p>"So, Metatron took one for the team," Angela commented.</p><p>"Yeah." Sam nodded.</p><p>"Well, I wouldn't have called that," Angela admitted.</p><p>"So, you wanna tell us about it, kiddo?" Dean asked, earning a confused look from his sister-in-law. "I mean, Amara obviously figured out something was going on, and… she didn't rip your head off."</p><p>"She wants me to be a part of her," Angela answered. "Not metaphorically, I'm talking literally—<em>forever.</em> So, in other words… adios." She pursed her lips. "Come on, I wanna go and pick up Grace."</p><p>Angela turned and walked away, effectively ending the conversation. Sam and Dean shared concerned looks before following her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0043"><h2>43. We Happy Few Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Lucifer strolled through the room with a book, flipping pages with studied nonchalance. "So, where were you?" he asked Chuck without looking up.</p><p>"That's a… long story," Chuck replied vaguely. "How do you feel? I healed you."</p><p>"Mm," Lucifer hummed as he sat on the steps. "Didn't ask you to."</p><p>"Son, be reasonable." Chuck practically pleaded.</p><p>"One cosmic Band-Aid on my knee and what, you think we're—we're <em>even</em> now?" Lucifer looked up. "Is it time for us to go play catch in the yard?" he scoffed as the door opened. "Screw you." He looked back at his book.</p><p>"Guys?" Dean called out as he, Sam, Angela, and Grace descended down the stairs.</p><p>"Hey, how's it goin' in here?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>"Listen, I know I've been gone for a while," Chuck started as the hunters set the grocery bags on the table. "I've missed a few… million… birthdays—</p><p>"Yeah, and the second your apes send a distress flare, boom," Lucifer interrupted. "Daddy's home."</p><p>"That's not what happened." Chuck shook his head.</p><p>"Hey, these apes saved your ass." Dean cut in angrily.</p><p>Lucifer scowled and snapped his fingers. Sam, Dean, and Angela looked sick, but quickly realized that nothing happened.</p><p>"He can't hurt you," Chuck told them.</p><p>"Oh, so you're controlling me now!" Lucifer sneered.</p><p>"It's just a safeguard." Chuck quickly corrected and Lucifer stared at him, incensed.</p><p>"Hey, guys?" Sam interjected. "Uh, Chuck? Lucifer… uh, Dean, Angie… Think we can try and focus here? Y'know, end of the world, common enemy, all that?"</p><p>Lucifer slammed his book shut and stood up. "Enemy of my enemy is my friend." He glared as he walked to stand right in front of Chuck. "Team Amara. Go Amara."</p><p>"You don't mean that," Chuck replied.</p><p>"You're really not gonna say it." Lucifer sneered.</p><p>Lucifer and Chuck just stared at each other in silence.</p><p>"He's not gonna say what?" Angela asked in confusion.</p><p>"Screw you," Lucifer told Chuck before looking at Sam, Dean, and Angela. "Screw all of you."</p><p>Lucifer stormed out and Chuck huffed, beginning to take his leave as well.</p><p>"Kids, huh?" Chuck laughed lightly.</p><p>"Mommy, what's 'screw you' mean?" Grace asked innocently.</p><p>Angela picked Grace up. "It's not nice. So, don't say it, okay?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Loud, muffled rock music played throughout the bunker hallways. Sam, Dean, and Angela stood in front of a closed door. Sam banged on it loudly.</p><p>"Lucifer!" Sam bellowed. "Y'know, sometime you're gonna have to come out and… talk to… God."</p><p>There was no answer and Sam threw his hands up in frustration.</p><p>"It's like the worst episode of <em>'Full House'</em> ever," Dean muttered.</p><p>Suddenly, the music stopped.</p><p>"If Dad has something to say to me, I'll hear it from him!" Lucifer yelled through the door. "Until then, I'll be in my room."</p><p>"It—</p><p>Sam was cut off by the loud music playing again.</p><p>"It's not your room." Dean scoffed.</p><p>"It's mine and Sam's room." Angela shook her head, banging on the door a few more times.</p><p>"Whatever." Dean rolled his eyes.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Talk to him," Sam said as Chuck continued making pancakes.</p><p>"Won't do any good." Chuck shrugged.</p><p>"Why not?" Angela demanded.</p><p>"Because I can't give him what he wants."</p><p>"And what's that?" Dean huffed from his seat at the table.</p><p>"What everyone wants," Chuck replied. "My sister, my children, you humans—an apology. A big, wet 'I'm sorry.'"</p><p>Dean's brows furrowed. "Well, so give it to him! It's not like he's askin' for a weapon, or for Hell, or for Heaven. He's askin' for words."</p><p>"I can't say I'm sorry if I'm not." Chuck placed plates of pancakes in front of Sam, Dean, and Angela. "What he wants an apology for, I did it for humanity. For the world. Look, Lucifer wants what everybody wants: Amara gone, 'kay? Let's just give him a little time to cool off."</p><p>"Okay, well," Angela started as she cut up the pancakes for Grace, who sat on her lap. "I don't know if you've noticed, but a little time is not something that we have. The end is freakin' nigh."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Angela, Dean, Grace, and Lucifer approached two chairs in the telescope room. Chuck was already sitting in one of the chairs and Lucifer took the other.</p><p>"One of you is gonna have to, uh, go first," Sam noted. "You know what? Lucifer, you agreed to have a sit down if God would show, so…" he gestured to Chuck.</p><p>"And Chuck, you did say you'd talk." Angela reminded.</p><p>"Him first." Lucifer narrowed his eyes. "I'm the one who's owed an explanation."</p><p>Chuck let out an aggravated little sigh but remained silent.</p><p>"Okay, let's try 'I feel' statements," Dean suggested before looking at Sam and Angela. "Dr. Phil. Eh?"</p><p>"Ah, yeah. Of course." Sam muttered.</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela went to sit awkwardly on the steps to the telescope. Sam picked up Grace and set her down on his lap.</p><p>"I am… sorry… that you feel that I betrayed you. That I acted without cause." Chuck started, causing Lucifer to shake his head. "I'm sorry that you can't see you gave me no choice. I'm good."</p><p>Lucifer turned to look at the hunters. "You heard that, right?"</p><p>Sam sighed and looked at Chuck. "We all know that you are God, but maybe could you be a little less 'Lordly?'"</p><p>"But I am—I'm… I'm the Lord."</p><p>"Wow," Lucifer scoffed. "There he goes."</p><p>"I did what I had to do!" Chuck defended. "To create the world, I had to lock Amara away. And when the Mark corrupted you, and I saw you posed a threat to humankind, I did the same with you."</p><p>"No, you <em>betrayed</em> me," Lucifer argued. "You gave me the Mark to lock her away, and when it changed me—when it did what the Mark inevitably does—you threw me away."</p><p>"No, son. The Mark…" Chuck paused. "You always cast a jaundiced glance at humans. The Mark didn't change you. It just made you more of what you already were."</p><p>"What I was, was your son. You child." Lucifer retorted.</p><p>"Why should I put you first above all others?" Chuck questioned.</p><p>"You have any idea what it's like to argue with your father when your father is God?" Lucifer asked the hunters before turning back to Chuck. "Everything is a tautology with you. Everything is, 'Because I told you so.' Everything's, 'It had to be done.'"</p><p>"Pretty sure that's all fathers," Dean muttered and Sam cleared his throat in warning.</p><p>"Okay, fine." Lucifer sat up straighter. "Big picture, as God. You did what you had to do. But little picture? You sucked at being a dad."</p><p>"Okay, maybe I didn't handle everything perfectly," Chuck admitted. "But tell me: could I have kept humankind safe with you on the board? I know about your little bid to replace me with the angels. Okay, 'New God,' what would you have done about you?"</p><p>"That is not the point." Lucifer sneered.</p><p>"I—I can't believe I'm actually about to say this," Sam started nervously. "But… um… Lucifer is right. All he wants is an apology, and you're too concerned about being right to give him one."</p><p>"But apologies aren't always about being right," Angela added. "Sometimes they're just about apologizing."</p><p>"Yeah, and the great thing about apologies is you don't have to mean 'em," Dean commented. "Y'know, I lie and tell Sam I'm sorry." He added, earning a look from Sam. "Sorry," Dean muttered before a grin spread across his face. "See? That's—heh."</p><p>"Enough from the peanut gallery." Chuck rolled his eyes as he waved his hand.</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, and Grace were deposited unceremoniously in three chairs, which turned out to be in the chess nook upstairs. Grace was in Angela's lap.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela stood up and Angela adjusted Grace in her arms as Chuck and Lucifer emerged from the room downstairs. Lucifer had a grin on his face.</p><p>"Hey." Sam and Angela greeted simultaneously.</p><p>"So… are we good?" Dean asked carefully.</p><p>Lucifer and Chuck nodded to one another, then to the Winchesters.</p><p>"Okay! Great." Dean nodded.</p><p>"So, what now?" Sam asked curiously.</p><p>"We trap Amara. Put her back in the box." Chuck answered.</p><p>Angela's brows furrowed. "Wait, what?"</p><p>"Yeah." Chuck nodded. "Well, you were right. She needs to be destroyed. But I won't kill her."</p><p>"Why not?" Angela demanded.</p><p>"Amara's been caged for billions of years, but y'know, she was always there," Chuck explained. "She had to be there. Y'know, yin and yang. Dark and light."</p><p>"English, Chuck," Dean stressed.</p><p>With an exasperated huff, Chuck waved his hand and the Winchesters were downstairs.</p><p>"There's a harmony, a balance, in the universe," Chuck started. "Light needs dark. Dark needs light. If you blow one of them up, then, I mean—</p><p>"It wouldn't be a good thing," Lucifer interjected.</p><p>"It'd be really not a good thing." Chuck agreed. "Like, 'end of reality' not good."</p><p>"Okay, so we gift-wrap Amara." Sam shrugged. "I mean, we got the team back together, so—</p><p>"Not quite." Chuck interrupted. "We're still a few members short of the original line-up."</p><p>"Yeah, first time it took the combined strength of me and my brothers to weaken Amara before Daddy-O finished her off," Lucifer added.</p><p>"Even then it was close. Now with just the two of us, we'll lose."</p><p>"Okay, so what?" Angela frowned. "We need more, uh, group therapy between you and the archangels if we wanna have a shot?"</p><p>Chuck shook his head. "Well, Michael's in no condition to fight, and it's outside my power to bring Gabriel and Raphael back."</p><p>"But you restored Castiel," Sam argued.</p><p>"Archangels are different," Chuck sighed. "They're the stuff of primordial creation. Rebuilding them, that's—It's time we don't have."</p><p>"So, what do you need to win?" Sam questioned.</p><p>"Whaddya got?" Chuck retorted.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"So, what do we bring to the table to make up for archangel power?" Chuck asked.</p><p>"We could try and find more Hands of God," Sam suggested.</p><p>Chuck held up his hands. "A little redundant."</p><p>"What about Crowley?" Angela shrugged. "Big demon power, former King of Hell. He was a player in his day."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Hell</em>
</p><p>Crowley sat on his throne nursing a drink. "Stealing my moves, Angela?"</p><p>After a moment, Angela walked out from behind a pillar.</p><p>"Let me guess," Crowley started. "You got Lucifer back in the fold. He snapped you here."</p><p>"No, it wasn't Lucifer," Angela replied.</p><p>Crowley just shrugged and went to take a sip from his drink, but Angela snatched the glass from him.</p><p>"Ah-ah-ah!" she snapped. "It's time to sober up. You smell like a dumpster outside the Liquor Barn."</p><p>"What's this? Concern for me?" Crowley quirked a brow. "We had some good times, Bambi, but I think we both know that ship has sailed."</p><p>Angela rolled her eyes, annoyed. "That's not what this is about. We need your help."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Lucifer leaned back in his chair. "We have the angels."</p><p>"Rowena," Sam added. "I mean, she's a snake, but she's a powerful witch."</p><p>"And she's got the Book of the Damned," Dean added.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Grand Isle, Louisiana</em>
</p><p>Rowena placed two small skulls atop a map with various other bones. "We've got the owl feather and the yarrow root."</p><p>"Check and check." Clea nodded.</p><p>"Jaw of pig?" Rowena asked.</p><p>"Check," Dean said suddenly as he and Sam walked in, Sam carrying Grace.</p><p>Rowena turned to face the brothers, sneering. "What are you two doing here? Give it!"</p><p>"Not till we've talked," Sam replied firmly.</p><p>"You walked right into a powerful coven—</p><p>"Ah, takes three for a coven." Clea interrupted.</p><p>"Witches' den," Rowena corrected herself. "Without a weapon. I'll turn you into a moose and Dean into a squirrel."</p><p>"You can't," Sam smirked.</p><p>"Read their auras," Clea commented. "They're under some potent protection. Never seen that before." She shrugged. "Here 'em out."</p><p>"Well?" Rowena pursed her lips.</p><p>"We need you," Dean replied.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>"Getting these groups to enlist and then work together," Sam started. "It's not gonna be easy."</p><p>"Couldn't you just compel them?" Angela asked Chuck.</p><p>"I invented free will for a reason." Chuck reminded.</p><p>Dean frowned deeply. "So, we're tying our hands on principle?"</p><p>"No, you can't make an effective soldier by force. They have to choose this fight."</p><p>"But they're gonna want to know they're backing a winner," Dean argued.</p><p>"So…" Lucifer indicated Chuck.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Grand Isle, Louisiana</em>
</p><p>"So, we're gonna play the God card," Sam informed.</p><p>Rowena laughed. "God's back. You've tricked me before, Samuel. Why would I believe a word you say?"</p><p>"It would explain that aura of protection." Clea cut in. "Not no regular magic."</p><p>"Clea, dear, is this how it's going to be with us in Crete?" Rowena asked, earning an eye roll from Clea. "Even if God's back, why would I care? Hello, pagan here. I serve magic, not God." She snatched the jawbone from Dean. "Sorry. Not interested."</p><p>"I am." Clea piped up, earning a look from Rowena. "What? I can't serve both?"</p><p>"No," Rowena told Clea.</p><p>"Ro, you brought me a plan to escape." She sighed deeply. "This here's an opportunity to fight and win."</p><p>"She's right." Sam agreed.</p><p>"Nobody's talking to you, big and tall." Rowena sassed.</p><p>"I can enlist others. Sister witches."</p><p>"You're mad." Rowena scoffed. "We don't stand a chance against Amara!"</p><p>"Rowena, honey?" Clea showed her the Sun tarot card she just drew. "There is a chance."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Hell</em>
</p><p>"Game of Thrones," Crowley started. "It's musical chairs. Still, I wanted it—to go out with the crown on my head!"</p><p>"And that's what you offered them, a chance to stroke your ego?" Angela quirked a brow. "And you wonder why they said no. Well, we've got something better—a plan. Now, you can sit on the sidelines and watch the world die, or you can fight. You know, to be kind again, maybe you need to remember how to be a soldier."</p><p>Crowley paused for a moment. "What's the plan?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>"We assemble our band of brothers, hit Amara with everything we've got," Dean started. "Then when she's weak…" he gestured to Chuck.</p><p>"I finish her off."</p><p>"So, a page from the original playbook." Dean nodded. "This time with witches and demons subbing for archangels."</p><p>"Exactly." Lucifer agreed.</p><p>"I still don't like it," Angela commented, causing everyone to look at her in disbelief. "But—why trap her when you can kill her, you know? I—I mean, you got to admit, there's a lot less room for error if you shoot to kill."</p><p>"I explained why." Chuck reminded her.</p><p>"Right, but why keep her in play?" Angela demanded. "So she can escape and we can go through this all over again?"</p><p>"Angie, what is this about?" Sam frowned.</p><p>"I—nothing!" she exclaimed. "Am I the only one thinking rationally here?"</p><p>"It's about her," Lucifer chimed in. "Sam, it's about her girlfriend."</p><p>"Okay," Angela glared at Lucifer. "Shut up."</p><p>"I mean, think about it," he continued. "Angela Winchester meets the biggest evil in the universe, and she takes a pass? Come on. Now she wants Daddy to do what she couldn't."</p><p>"Is he right?" Sam looked at his wife intensely.</p><p>"Oh, I'm <em>not</em> getting into it with him." Angela retorted. "Not gonna happen."</p><p>"Hey, Angela. Come on, what's good for the goose is good for the gander." Lucifer shrugged. "We opened a vein for you guys."</p><p>Angela clenched her jaw. "I <em>tried</em> to kill her. And it didn't work."</p><p>"Maybe it didn't work because you didn't want it to work. Maybe you didn't want to kill her." Chuck theorized.</p><p>Dean's brows furrowed in confusion. "You want God to kill Amara because you don't want Amara to be killed?"</p><p>"Yeah," Angela looked down at her feet. "Maybe there's a part of me that just can't hurt her. But if she's already dead—</p><p>"Then she's already dead. Right." Sam rubbed the back of his neck.</p><p>"Well, that got weird," Lucifer muttered.</p><p>"Baby…" Sam sighed deeply. "We always sweat this stuff, these choices. But for once, we have God on our side. I mean, for once, we can actually just do things his way."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Grand Isle, Louisiana</em>
</p><p>"Simple," Rowena scoffed. "Bordering on insane."</p><p>"Still in?" Dean asked her.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Hell</em>
</p><p>"It's suicide," Crowley told Angela.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Angela took a deep breath. "Let's go."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0044"><h2>44. We Happy Few Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I don't hold grudges," Crowley told Lucifer as Rowena walked into the abandoned power plant. "Besides, that dog collar was a lovely touch, really made my eyes pop. Almost wore it here today."</p><p>"Oh, I'm glad you're such a good sport." Lucifer retorted before smirking at Rowena. "Hey, Red. Looking gorgeous as ever. Hey, I think a little apology is in order."</p><p>"You think you're the first man to try and kill me?" Rowena drawled as Crowley rolled his eyes. "Hello, Fergus."</p><p>"Mother." He greeted.</p><p>Suddenly, Chuck appeared in a bright blaze of light. "Hello, my children."</p><p>"Him?" Crowley scoffed.</p><p>"Rowena. Crowley." Chuck nodded. "It's good to finally meet you in person."</p><p>"Sorry about, well, <em>everything</em> I've ever done in my life." Rowena stepped forward. "Really, y-you can't have been a fan."</p><p>"Oh, yeah," Chuck agreed. "I've been quietly rooting against you both for some time now. Although, I can't deny you're one of my guilty pleasures."</p><p>Rowena giggled girlishly. "Oh, God."</p><p>"Oh, God." Crowley gagged.</p><p>"All right," Dean cut in. "No flirting. And no fighting."</p><p>"Yeah and no deals," Sam added as he adjusted Grace in his arms. "No talks about who is owed what if we survive this."</p><p>"Nobody likes each other," Angela said obviously. "It doesn't matter."</p><p>"We only have the fight ahead." Sam reminded.</p><p>"Amara's looking for me," Chuck noted. "But I'm warded against her, for now. The <em>second</em> I drop the warding, she'll show. She'll be expecting a fight, and we'll give it to her. Shock and awe. <em>Shock, and awe.</em> You have your troops in position?"</p><p>Rowena raised her hand.</p><p>Chuck cleared his throat. "Yes, Rowena?"</p><p>"Fabulous plan, God," Rowena beamed. "But doesn't this strategy strike anyone as a wee bit un-strategic? Shouldn't we at least try to catch her off guard?"</p><p>"Is that sequence set in stone? Demon, angel, witch-power?" Crowley cut in. "Seems to me that the first response should come from the most disposable force."</p><p>"Right! Good argument, Doggie," Lucifer cooed. "Demons first, it is."</p><p>"The weakest should go first." Crowley sneered. "Naturally, that means the witches."</p><p>"Enough," Sam said firmly.</p><p>"After that, it's Lucifer's turn," Chuck explained. "Physical attack. One-on-one."</p><p>"What about Cas?" Angela asked worriedly.</p><p>"Oh, don't worry. Your pet's safety is my <em>highest</em> concern." Lucifer replied sarcastically before rolling his eyes at Angela's glare. "Trust me, he's on board."</p><p>"Once she's been weakened, I will take the Mark back from Amara and use it to seal her away. You ready?" Chuck asked Sam.</p><p>"Yeah." He nodded.</p><p>"Wait, what?" Dean and Angela asked simultaneously.</p><p>"God and I talked about this," Sam replied. "Someone needs to bear the Mark."</p><p>"Well, that should be me," Angela argued. "I—I've had it before I'm damaged goods."</p><p>"Exactly. You've already been tainted." Chuck pursed his lips. "I can't transfer it to you. Sam volunteered."</p><p>Dean and Angela glanced at Sam before dragging him away so that they could talk privately.</p><p>"First Cas is making kamikaze side plans, and now you?" Dean demanded angrily. "You couldn't have talked to us?"</p><p>"We did talk." Sam reminded.</p><p>"And what happens when the Mark turns you psycho, then what?" Angela questioned.</p><p>"You lock me up where I can't hurt anyone and throw away the key." Sam shrugged.</p><p>"Sam, no," Angela replied firmly.</p><p>"Baby, you told us you couldn't beat Amara, that it would have to be me or Dean. Well, this is it—me." Sam explained. "We talked about this. It's time to do the smart thing."</p><p>"So, what are we supposed to do?" Dean asked. "Just sit by and watch?"</p><p>"No. We're all in the fight," Sam answered. "Angie's leading this army."</p><p>"Oh, you mean babysitting the bad guys?" Angela rolled her eyes.</p><p>"Okay, Sam." Dean nodded reluctantly. "Okay."</p><p>"God's plan," Angela muttered.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>In the abandoned power plan, the building shook and everyone glanced around. All the lights in the place blew out. Sam ducked and held Grace protectively when sparks rained down behind him. As the building continued shaking, even Lucifer looked worried. Everyone listened intently as Crowley walked outside to join the fight.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Suddenly, the building stopped shaking and a clearly beaten Amara staggered through the door, breathing heavily. Angela moved toward her automatically, but Dean stopped her.</p><p>"Hello, brother," Amara panted. "You cheated. Again. But—</p><p>With a yell, Lucifer charged up behind Amara and shoved a spear through her middle. Amara cried out and Lucifer pulled the spear out. Amara fell to the ground and Lucifer moved to stab her again, but Chuck stopped him.</p><p>"Ah! Son!"</p><p>Amara just whimpered as Lucifer backed off.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Chuck whispered. "For this, for everything."</p><p>"An apology at last," she breathed heavily. "What's sorry to me?! I spent millions of years crammed into that case alone and afraid…" she spoke, and Angela closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Wishing, begging for death because of you!" Amara yelled. "And what was my crime, brother?!"</p><p>"The world needed to be born!" Chuck exclaimed as he knelt in front of his sister. "And you wouldn't let me! Amara, you gave me no choice."</p><p>"That's your story. Not mine." She shook her head. "The real reason you banished me, why I couldn't be allowed to exist, you couldn't stand it. Yeah, we're equals. We weren't great or powerful because we stood only in relation to each other. You think you made the archangels to bright light? No. You made them to create lesser beings, to make your large." Amara struggled to her feet. "To make you Lord. It was your ego! You wanted to be big!"</p><p>"That's true," Chuck admitted as he stood. "But it isn't the whole truth. There's a value, a glory in creation that's greater and truer than my pride or my ego. Call it grace, call it being! Whatever it is, it didn't come from my hands. It was there waiting to be born. It just is, as you and I just were. Since you've been freed, I know you've seen it." He glanced, then nodded at Angela. "Felt it."</p><p>In growing disbelief, Amara looked over at Angela, who looked down at her feet.</p><p>"It didn't have to be like this," Amara shook her head. "I loved you brother." She laughed bitterly. "Well, you've won again. Finish it. Kill me."</p><p>"I'm sorry." Chuck apologized softly and Sam handed Grace to Angela.</p><p>Amara looked down in shock as the Mark began to burn away from her chest. "No. No! No!"</p><p>Sam grunted in pain and fell to his knees as the Mark started to transfer to him.</p><p>"I'm so sorry," Chuck told Amara.</p><p>"No. Not again!" she lunged forward, grabbing Chuck by the throat and hoisting him aloft. "Not <em>ever</em> again!" she seethed, using her power to hang him up higher and choke him in midair.</p><p>Yelling, Lucifer charged from behind her again, but Amara flung him hard against a support pillar across the room.</p><p>"Goodbye, nephew."</p><p>Amara banished Lucifer and Castiel slumped unconscious to the floor.</p><p>"Cas!" Dean yelled.</p><p>He rushed toward Amara, but she flung Dean away without any effort.</p><p>"I'd die a million times and murder you a million more!" Amara yelled as the Mark faded from Sam's arm and returned to her shoulder. "Tell me, if you won't change, why should eye?" she asked as black tendrils began to rise from the floor at her feet.</p><p>"Amara, no!" Angela pleaded as Grace started to cry.</p><p>Amara spared her a glance but wrenched her focus back to Chuck. The black tendrils hit him again and again, each wound a spot of brilliant white lights.</p><p>"Sorry, brother." Amara glared icily.</p><p>Chuck shined brighter and brighter until Sam, Dean, Angela, and Grace had to look away. Chuck's body thudded to the floor. The hunters stared in horror.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"No," Angela shook her head as she comforted her daughter. "Amara, what have you done?"</p><p>"He's dead," Sam muttered. "God's dead."</p><p>"No. He's dying." Amara corrected. "My brother will dim and fade away into nothing. But not until he sees what comes next. Not until he watches this world, everything he created, everything he created, everything he loves turn to ash. Welcome to the end." She seethed before disappearing.</p><p>The Winchesters stared at Chuck's unconscious body, dumbstruck.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0045"><h2>45. Alpha and Omega Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the power plant, Castiel and Chuck were unconscious on the floor. Angela helped Sam up, who rushed over to help his brother.</p><p>"Check on him," Dean grunted, nodding to Chuck.</p><p>Sam nodded and knelt down next to Chuck. "Hey. Chuck?"</p><p>Meanwhile, Dean and Angela walked over to Castiel. Dean knelt down and put a hand on the angel's shoulder. Castiel stirred and looked up at Dean and Angela.</p><p>"Dean. Angela." He muttered.</p><p>"Cas? Hey, is that you?" Angela asked gently.</p><p>Sam looked down at Chuck in concern. "Hey, can you hear me?"</p><p>Chuck woke up groggily and rolled onto his back, groaning and scrunching his face up in pain.</p><p>"Lucifer is gone," Castiel started. "Amara ripped him from my body."</p><p>"To where?" Dean's brows furrowed.</p><p>"I don't know."</p><p>"Come on," Dean helped Castiel up.</p><p>Grace reached out for Castiel, who looked at Angela, silently asking for permission to hold the toddler.</p><p>"Here," Angela gently handed Grace to Castiel "She missed her uncle."</p><p>"How could she know it wasn't me?" Castiel frowned in confusion.</p><p>"I think she just knew, deep down." Angela shrugged as she, Castiel, and Dean walked over toward Sam and Chuck.</p><p>"Are you, uh… H-How do you feel?" Sam stammered.</p><p>"Oh," Chuck groaned in pain. "You know when you're driving and a bug hits your windshield? I'm the bug."</p><p>"So, what Amara said about you…" Sam trailed off.</p><p>"Dying." Chuck nodded. "Whatever she did to me, I can feel my spark, my light fading. And when it's gone…"</p><p>"Okay, well, t-tell us how to fix you," Dean replied.</p><p>"You can't." Chuck shook his head. "I—I—I <em>suppose</em> she could, maybe, but that's never gonna happen."</p><p>A door slammed followed by footsteps. Dean turned, pulled out his gun, and pointed it at the direction of the sounds. Everyone looked expectantly at the door… and Rowena walked in.</p><p>"So, that <em>was</em> a gun in your pocket." She looked at Dean.</p><p>"Well…" Crowley sauntered into the room after his mother. "That was a complete and utter dog's breakfast, wasn't it?"</p><p>"I didn't know dogs had breakfast." Castiel frowned.</p><p>"Cas is back." Angela looked over at Sam.</p><p>"Just curious—has anyone bothered to look outside?" Rowena raised her brows.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sirens were wailing in the distance as the door to the power plan opened and Rowena, Angela, Sam, Chuck, Cas, and Crowley walked outside. Sam held Grace, who was sucking her thumb. Everyone looked around as Rowena tapped Angela on the shoulder, turning her around and pointing at the sky. They all looked up and saw the sun burning brightly. The sky around it was bright red-orange, as if it were on fire.</p><p>"Daddy, what's that?" Grace pointed to the sky.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"What is it?" Dean squinted.</p><p>"It looks like the sun is—</p><p>"Dying." Castiel interrupted Sam.</p><p>"Why would Amara do that?" Angela's brows creased together in confusion.</p><p>"The sun is the source of all life on Earth," Castiel started. "Without it, everything just… just wastes away."</p><p>"Let's get the hell out of here," Dean muttered.</p><p>Chuck snapped his fingers and they were all transported to the War Room in the bunker.</p><p>"You." Crowley pointed at Chuck.</p><p>"Still got a few tricks up my sleeve. I'm not dead y…" Chuck pulled away from Sam's support only to collapse against him again.</p><p>"Oh, whoa," Dean steadied Chuck. "Okay. I got you."</p><p>"I should probably sit down."</p><p>"Yeah. Come on." Dean muttered as he helped him into a nearby chair. "All right. Okay."</p><p>"What do we do now?" Castiel asked.</p><p>Angela paused for a moment before she strode into the kitchen and pulled a six-pack of beer out of the refrigerator. She twisted the top off and it clattered to the tabletop as she took a long sip of beer. Sam, Dean, and Castiel walked in behind her, Sam still carrying Grace.</p><p>"Really?" Sam huffed.</p><p>Angela sighed heavily. "Really. What? Baby, we hit Amara with everything we got, and she walked it off."</p><p>"So… So, it's last call?" Sam asked his wife.</p><p>"That's right." Angela took another long sip. "Look, Sammy. If you've got something for me to punch, shoot, or kill, let me know and I'll do it. But how are we supposed to fix the damn sun?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela slammed another empty beer bottle on the table. "You know what? This isn't gonna be enough. I better make a run." She sighed. "No reason to die sober, right? You want to?" she asked Sam and Dean.</p><p>"No, kiddo." Dean shook his head.</p><p>"We'll stay here, find our Plan B," Sam added.</p><p>"Okay." Angela shrugged. "I'm taking one of the cars from the garage. Cas, come on."</p><p>"Teapot?" Rowena asked as she walked into the kitchen.</p><p>Sam, Dean, Angela, and Castiel all looked dumbfounded at the question.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Dean walked into the library with Grace following behind them, holding a sippy cup. Crowley raised his bottle from his seat.</p><p>"Samantha! Dean!" he called out.</p><p>"W-What are we doing?" Sam stuttered.</p><p>"Nothing," Rowena answered.</p><p>"Exactly," Dean snapped. "Amara's out there eating the freaking sun, and—and we're doing nothing."</p><p>"And you two have a better idea?" Crowley scoffed.</p><p>"Yes. Anything." Sam retorted. "That's our better idea, because anything is better than this."</p><p>"Sam. I get it." Chuck looked up at him. "Even if we could lock Amara away, it wouldn't do any good now. I'm dying." He stressed. "And when I'm gone, a cosmic balance between light and dark—it's over."</p><p>Dean looked around at everyone. "All right." He slammed the table. "Then if we can't cage her, we have to kill her."</p><p>"Bingo," Crowley said under his breath.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela was driving down the road in one of the classic cars from the bunker and Castiel sat in the passenger seat.</p><p>"How're you doing, hon? You good?" Angela asked. "I mean, you know, the whole Lucifer thing."</p><p>"I was just… so stupid." Castiel shook his head ashamedly.</p><p>"No, no, no. It wasn't stupid." Angela replied. "You were right. You were right to let Lucifer ride shotgun. Me, Sam, and Dean—we wouldn't have done that."</p><p>"Well, it didn't work," Castiel muttered.</p><p>"No, but it was our best shot, and you stepped up."</p><p>"I was just trying to help," Castiel assured.</p><p>"Well, and you do help, Cas." Angela nodded.</p><p>"You know, I—</p><p>"You know, sometimes me, Sam, and Dean have got so much going on that… we forget about everyone else," Angela admitted.</p><p>"Well, you do live exciting lives," Castiel noted. "And you have Grace to look after."</p><p>Angela chuckled lightly. "Yeah, that's one word for it. And yeah, we do. But, hon, you're always there, you know? You're the best friend we've ever had. You're family. We love you, Cas."</p><p>"Thank you," Castiel replied sincerely, a small smile gracing his lips.</p><p>Suddenly, Angela's phone started ringing and she answered it. "Hey, baby. All right. We're on our way." She said before hanging up. "Sammy and Dean have got something."</p><p>The tires screeched as Angela turned the car around to head back to the bunker.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Everyone was in the bunker's library and Grace played with her dolls nearby as the adults talked.</p><p>"Wait, so now you want to <em>kill</em> the Darkness?" Angela asked, turning to Chuck. "You're cool with this? 'Cause, you know, last time…"</p><p>"Look, Chuck's dying," Sam replied bluntly, earning a sideways glance from Chuck. "Uh, no offense, God."</p><p>"Yeah, no, I—I'm dying." He agreed.</p><p>"So, we don't really have a choice, kiddo." Dean shrugged.</p><p>"I mean, look," Sam started. "Y-You've got darkness and light. Y-You take one side away a-and—</p><p>"It upsets the scales—the whole balance of the universe." Castiel finished.</p><p>"Exactly." Sam nodded. "But you take both away, and now both sides of the scale are empty, so…"</p><p>"Of course," Castiel realized. "It's balanced."</p><p>"Right. Yes. Okay." Angela nodded. "Uh, and look. Hey, I'm game, but how exactly are we gonna do this? I mean, Lucifer hit her with a-a Hand of God, and, well, we saw how that turned out."</p><p>"Yeah." Sam sighed heavily.</p><p>"She does seem impossible to destroy," Castiel muttered.</p><p>"Right." Dean nodded. "Is she, Chuck?"</p><p>He sighed heavily. "Well, I… I mean, well… I… I—I—</p><p>"Chuck!" Angela and Castiel yelled.</p><p>"Charles!" Rowena exclaimed.</p><p>"All right. Fine." Chuck pursed his lips. "The Darkness might—<em>might</em> have a weakness," he staggered over to Crowley and took the bottle from the demon. "Light."</p><p>"He tells us now," Crowley muttered sarcastically.</p><p>"What? I—I just wanted to trap her." Chuck defended. "I didn't want to murder her."</p><p>"Okay, but now that we're trying to end her, how much light are we talking about?" Dean questioned.</p><p>"I don't know," Chuck shrugged as he sat back down. "10,000 suns set to supernova."</p><p>"Well, y-you're God," Angela replied. "So, just God them up."</p><p>"Look at me," Chuck scoffed. "I'm… not in the best shape right now."</p><p>"Okay. Uh, that's all right." Sam nodded. "Uh, we just need other ideas. Um… Rowena, what about the Book of the Damned?"</p><p>Rowena scoffed audibly. "This is beyond…"</p><p>"Okay, Crowley?" Dean asked.</p><p>"Oh, I got nothing."</p><p>"Well, what about souls?" Castiel suggested. "They fuel your demon deals. Souls are living batteries. They're full of energy. They're full of light. Each one is as powerful as… 100 suns?"</p><p>"H-He's not wrong," Rowena agreed.</p><p>"Okay, so if we got this kind of the juice, then what?" Angela inquired.</p><p>"You get me enough souls…" Rowena trailed off. "I can build a bomb."</p><p>"Would that do the trick?" Dean asked Chuck.</p><p>"Uh… maybe."</p><p>"All right. Plan B." Sam nodded, feeling much more hopeful.</p><p>"Okay," Angela started. "How many souls are we talking here?"</p><p>"The more the better," Rowena replied.</p><p>"Even if you could get that kind of firepower… you really think it would work?" Crowley questioned skeptically.</p><p>"I can ask the angels," Castiel replied. "Heaven is full of souls."</p><p>"Okay," Sam nodded. "Uh, what else we got?"</p><p>"Ghosts," Angela suggested. "Well, they're just souls with baggage, right?"</p><p>"Yeah, but we would need a whole lot of them."</p><p>"Waverly Hills," Dean smirked.</p><p>Sam chuckled lightly. "Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Of course. Thousands died there."</p><p>"Tons of ghosts." Dean nodded.</p><p>"This is desperate… and stupid," Crowley noted.</p><p>"Well, desperate and stupid's pretty much all we got right now, so…" Dean shrugged.</p><p>"Fine." Crowley huffed. "I'll go raid Hell and see what's left."</p><p>"All right," Sam stood up and walked over to Angela, leaning down to kiss her deeply. "Let's get to work."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Louisville, Kentucky</em>
</p><p>Sam, Dean, and Angela stood outside Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Grace was back at the bunker, safe and sound.</p><p>"Really think this is gonna work?" Angela asked skeptically.</p><p>"Well, Rowena said it would," Sam muttered.</p><p>"Oh, yeah." Dean scoffed. "It's a Book of the Damned spell, boyos. Take this wee crystal. It'll suck up all the blimey ghosts. Just say the magic word." He mimicked Rowena.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Inside the sanatorium, the EMF detector was warbling loudly. Sam, Dean, and Angela looked down the hallway as the wind gusted through, blowing papers that were on the floor all around. A door creaked open and a ghost materialized at the end of the hall and then disappeared.</p><p>"Place really lives up to the hype," Sam commented.</p><p>"Yes, it does." Dean agreed.</p><p>They walked further into the sanatorium and entered a large room. Angela carried her gear bag while Sam and Dean each had large containers of salt and their sawed-off shotguns.</p><p>"Let's give the magic word a shot, because we're six," Dean grumbled, annoyed. "All right. Let's bust some ghosts."</p><p>Angela looked around the room while Sam and Dean lied salt lines around the perimeter. "Where the heck are they?"</p><p>"You got me," Sam muttered.</p><p>"Get your Casper asses out here!" Dean yelled loudly.</p><p>"You know what? Why don't you guys finish up?" Sam suggested as he handed Angela his salt canister. "I'll go piss them off."</p><p>"Yeah." Dean nodded.</p><p>As Dean and Angela were laying down salt, a ghost came at Dean from behind. Angela threw salt at the ghost and it disappeared. In the hallway, ghosts materialized, and Sam was shooting them with rock salt. As he was shooting, he was walking back toward Dean and Angela, leading the ghosts into the large room. As he walked, more and more ghosts appeared.</p><p>"Okay, I think it worked!" Sam yelled.</p><p>"Haha!" Dean laughed.</p><p>In the room, the three hunters were fighting off the ghosts with guns and iron rods. Angela was trying to get the 'bomb' from the gear back, but the ghosts kept at her, sending the bomb sliding across the floor. A large ghost threw Dean across the room and grabbed Sam by the neck.</p><p>"Say the magic word!" Sam struggled. "Angie, hurry!"</p><p>Angela finally got hold of the bomb and tossed it into the air. "Haggis!"</p><p>Sam was released from the ghost's grip and fell to the floor. The ghosts morphed into streams of light and were absorbed into the bomb, which started to glow as it was filled with more and more spirits.</p><p>"Go magic word," Dean muttered.</p><p>"Yeah." Angela nodded.</p><p>As the three hunters left the sanatorium, Billie was watching them go.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Everyone was sitting in the War Room of the bunker looking dejected. Angela held Grace close to her.</p><p>"The angels are—Heaven won't help." Castiel sighed heavily.</p><p>"They know that this is the end, right?" Dean asked. "Of everything."</p><p>"Yes," Castiel confirmed.</p><p>"And they don't care?" Sam frowned.</p><p>"No, it's not that," Castiel shook his head. "It's… They know—They know God is dying and they don't think we can win this. Souls or no souls. They're sealing Heaven, and they're 'dying with dignity.'"</p><p>"Well, that's awesome," Angela muttered sarcastically.</p><p>"All right, Crowley. What about you?" Sam questioned.</p><p>"Well, I had all the souls we needed."</p><p>"What do you mean 'had?'" Angela squinted.</p><p>"While I was indisposed, a few of my demonic pals decided to raid my stash," Crowley explained.</p><p>"Well, what we have—it's not enough," Castiel stated.</p><p>Electricity buzzed and red lights went on all around the War Room.</p><p>"Well, that could be nothing but good news," Crowley noted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.</p><p>Castiel took out his angel blade while Sam and Dean cocked their guns. They all turned and aimed at the door on the upper level. Footsteps could be heard and the door swung open as Billie sauntered in.</p><p>"Nice digs."</p><p>"Billie?" Sam's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Who's Billie?" Rowena inquired.</p><p>"Reaper," Angela answered. "Wants us dead. Super fun."</p><p>"Hey," Billie greeted Crowley as she walked past him.</p><p>"Wait a second," Sam cut in, confused. "H-How did you… What are you doing here?"</p><p>"I saw you three at Waverly Hills, and call me a curious kitten," Billie started. "But with, you know, credits about to roll, I gotta ask—why're you three busting ghosts?"</p><p>"Why do you care?" Dean retorted.</p><p>"Dead folks—kind of my thing." She reminded. "So… spill."</p><p>Sam sighed deeply. "We're collecting souls to build a bomb."</p><p>"To blow the Darkness to hell," Angela added.</p><p>They all looked toward the bomb which was glowing on the table.</p><p>"Okay." Billie nodded.</p><p>"Okay?" Sam repeated in confusion. "Uh, w-what does that mean, 'okay?'"</p><p>"Means way things are going, I'm about an hour away from reaping God himself."</p><p>Castiel's eyes narrowed questioningly. "So, you're here to help us."</p><p>"Little tip—you want souls, call a reaper," Billie told the angel.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Well, this is exciting." Dean scoffed sarcastically as they all watched Billie hold the bomb.</p><p>There was a 'whooshing' sound as the bomb glowed brighter and souls started streaming into the room and into the bomb.</p><p>"Pretty lights." Grace murmured from her place next to her father.</p><p>"How many souls are in there?" Castiel inquired curiously.</p><p>"A couple hundred… thousand. I raided the Veil." Billie explained. "Like I said, dead folks—kind of my thing." She shrugged before turning to Rowena. "We good?"</p><p>"Very." Rowena gently took the bomb from Billie.</p><p>"Super," Billie started to walk out of the bunker.</p><p>"See you around," Angela called out.</p><p>"Yeah. You will. Just hope it's not today." Billie replied over her shoulder. "Crowley."</p><p>Crowley smirked at Billie's addressing him. He turned around and looked sheepish as he saw everyone looking at him questioningly.</p><p>"So, what now?" Castiel asked.</p><p>"Well, now we have the bomb, so we just got to find Amara," Dean replied.</p><p>"I can track her." Chuck chimed in. "She's not warded anymore. Why would she be? She won."</p><p>"Okay, so?" Angela raised her brows.</p><p>"We need somebody to get close to her, someone with a… <em>personal connection,</em>" Castiel explained as everyone looked toward Angela.</p><p>"Well, what are we waiting for?" she asked Rowena. "How do I smuggle this thing?"</p><p>"We could always shove it up your—</p><p>"Hey." Angela cut Crowley off.</p><p>"I mean, you could." He shrugged.</p><p>"You won't carry the bomb. You'll <em>be</em> the bomb." Rowena replied softly. "I'm gonna take what's in there… and put it in here." She placed her hand on Angela's chest. "Once you get close to her, you press your fingers together like so—boom."</p><p>Sam looked at his wife with tears in his eyes and he swallowed heavily. Dean frowned deeply and Angela just nodded as she realized the outcome of this situation.</p><p>"Okay." She murmured.</p>
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<a name="section0046"><h2>46. Alpha and Omega Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Lebanon, Kansas</em>
</p><p>Rowena chanted over the bomb which was in her outstretched hand. As she finished the incantation she pushed her other hand toward the bomb and Angela. A stream of bright, white light hit Angela square in the chest for several seconds. Angela groaned and hunched over in pain.</p><p>"Mommy?" Grace whimpered.</p><p>"Angela, are you okay? How do you feel?" Castiel inquired.</p><p>"Like my insides just got flame-broiled," Angela grunted. "Is that normal?"</p><p>"Sweetie, we're so far past normal," Rowena replied. "You've got about an hour, maybe a wee bit more, then you're literally a walking ticking time bomb."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam and Angela stood in front of Robert Morgan's gravesite while everyone else stood near the Impala.</p><p>"Baby, you know, you don't have to do this," Sam whispered.</p><p>"Of course I do, Sammy. I just have to get close." Angela murmured. "I can do that, okay? I can do that."</p><p>"You know, if this works, um, that bomb goes off." Sam reminded.</p><p>Angela leaned up and kissed Sam's cheek softly. "I know, baby."</p><p>While Angela headed back to the group, Sam remained at the grave, looking emotional. He rested one of his hands on the headstone.</p><p>"I'm sorry I didn't take better care of her," Sam whispered sadly.</p><p>Angela looked to Chuck, who was being supported by Rowena. "You cool with this?"</p><p>"No," Chuck admitted. "I—Even after everything she's done, Amara's still my sister. She's my family. I can't—I don't want to see her dead, but… Yeah? I understand."</p><p>Dean walked over to Angela silently and hugged her tightly.</p><p>"Thank you, Dean." She whispered. "You're the best big brother I never had when I was a kid. Thank you for accepting me into your family all those years ago."</p><p>"Thanks for being the best little sister I never had, kiddo." Dean murmured as he kissed her forehead and broke the hug.</p><p>"Angela," Castiel called out.</p><p>Angela turned around and smiled sadly at the angel. "Cas."</p><p>Castiel approached Angela and hugged her tightly.</p><p>"Okay," Angela hugged him back. "Okay. All right."</p><p>"I could go with you," Castiel suggested as he pulled away.</p><p>"No, no, no." Angela shook her head. "No, I got to do this alone. Plus, I need you to make sure my boys don't do anything stupid."</p><p>"Of course." Castiel nodded.</p><p>Angela stood on her toes and placed a friendly kiss on Castiel's cheek. "Thank you, for everything."</p><p>Sam walked back over to the group, hands in his pockets.</p><p>"All right," Angela cleared her throat. "I don't need a big funeral or anything. I just want my ashes spread next to my dad's gravesite."</p><p>"Done." Sam nodded.</p><p>Angela walked over to her husband and smiled sadly. "How do we always find ourselves in these positions?"</p><p>Sam chuckled humorlessly. "Usually one of us does something stupid."</p><p>"Yeah." Angela murmured as she slipped off her ring. "Here. I, uh… When Gracie's older, I—I want her to have this."</p><p>Sam nodded and took the ring gently, putting it in his jacket pocket. "I don't want you to do this."</p><p>"I know." Angela nodded. "I, um… Thank you. For showing me how to love again. Before I met you, I—I thought I could never find someone that I loved so much, not after... Thank you for marrying me, a-and thank you for giving me a life I never thought I could have, being a hunter and all. I love you, Sam."</p><p>Sam sniffled and blinked back his tears before he pulled Angela into a bone-crushing hug. "I love you so much, Angie. I never deserved you, and yet… you loved me. And you gave me a daughter. I will <em>never</em> stop loving you, baby."</p><p>Sam pulled back slightly and leaned down to kiss Angela deeply, for the very last time. Angela wrapped her arms around Sam's neck and a tear slipped down her cheek as she kissed Sam back with just as much passion. After a few moments, Sam pulled away and wiped away his oncoming tears. Angela took his hand and squeezed it before she walked over and knelt in front of her daughter.</p><p>"Mommy, don't go." Grace sniffled.</p><p>Angela tucked a strand of hair behind Grace's ear. "I'm sorry, baby girl. You know that I love you so, so much, right? You are the light of my life."</p><p>Grace hugged her mother tightly and sniffled again. "I love you, too, Mommy. Please stay?"</p><p>"I wish I could, sweetie." Angela's voice cracked with emotion. "I would do <em>anything</em> to stay here with you. You be good for daddy and your uncles, okay?"</p><p>Grace nodded, not pulling away from her mother.</p><p>"And I'll always be with you in your heart, Gracie-girl," Angela promised. "Always and forever."</p><p>"Not letting go." Grace shook her head.</p><p>"Gracie," Angela blinked back her tears. "Mommy has to do this, okay?" she told her daughter, but the toddler refused to let go. "Sammy."</p><p>Sam nodded and gently pried Grace away from Angela. Grace struggled against her father and cried loudly.</p><p>"Mommy! Mommy, no!" Grace sobbed.</p><p>Angela swallowed sadly and stood up, trying not to completely break down. She wanted to stay more than anything, to be with her family. She closed her eyes and sighed shakily.</p><p>"Chuck?" she called out. "Let's do this."</p><p>Chuck snapped his fingers and Angela disappeared.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela appeared in the park where Amara was and looked around, taking note of the dead flowers. Angela then looked up to the sky.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Castiel, Crowley, and Rowena pulled up to 'The Lazy Shag' bar, which had a 'Closed' sign on the door. A man walked by with a sign that said 'The End Is Near.' Sam held Grace in his arms, rubbing her back gently.</p><p>"He's not wrong." Crowley indicated the man before looking at the bar. "One little apocalypse and they shut up shop." He muttered as he snapped his fingers, causing the doors to swing open. "Your round, Moose."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Amara appeared on the other side of the garden behind Angela.</p><p>"Angela," she greeted. "How did you find me?"</p><p>"Does it matter?" Angela turned to face Amara. "I'm here to give you what you want. Me."</p><p>"That's a change."</p><p>"Well," Angela started walking toward Amara. "I can't just stand by and watch the world, my friends, and my family die. So, if becoming a part of you takes me away from that, then I'm in."</p><p>"You… and that bomb inside your chest?" Amara inquired and Angela stopped walking. "Do you think I can't taste the power coming off of you? Please." She scoffed. "The problem is, you've never been able to hurt me. So, what makes this time any different?"</p><p>"I don't have a choice. What you're doing to the sun—</p><p>"That's not me." Amara interrupted. "With my brother getting weaker, the scales are tipping away from light."</p><p>"And into darkness," Angela replied.</p><p>"Into nothing." Amara corrected. "When God's gone, the universe—everything will cease to exist. Including me."</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Crowley, Rowena, and Castiel were watching television in the bar.</p><p>"I miss Mommy." Grace sniffled from her place in Sam's arms.</p><p>"Me too, Peanut." Sam murmured. "But she wouldn't have gone if she didn't have to, okay? She's helping the world."</p><p><em>"And while law enforcement is telling people not to panic,"</em> the reporter started. <em>"Residents are being advised to stay in their homes as authorities are baffled by this st—</em></p><p>Crowley snapped his fingers and the television turned off. "Boring."</p><p>"He looks horrible." Castiel indicated Chuck, who was sitting in a nearby booth.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"My brother betrayed me," Amara started. "He locked me away for billions of years. He sent you to execute me."</p><p>"No, no. No." Angela replied firmly. "He zapped me here, yes, but he didn't want this. This wasn't his idea. You're family. He doesn't want you dead. He doesn't want any of this!"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Gerry and the Pacemakers' 'Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying' played in the bar as the sky darkened. Sam and Dean walked over and sat across from Chuck. Sam set Grace in his lap.</p><p>"Hey, Chuck," Dean muttered.</p><p>"How you holding up?" Sam asked.</p><p>"Oh, aces," Chuck mumbled weakly.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Is this what you wanted?" Angela demanded.</p><p>"No!" Amara snapped. "I just wanted to hurt him. I wanted to make him pay."</p><p>"Yeah, that's revenge." Angela nodded. "It'll get you out of bed in the morning, and when you get it, it feels great… for about five minutes. I've been there." She shrugged. "Me, Sam, and Dean—we have had our fair share of fights—more than our share—but no matter how bad it got, we always made it right because we're family. I need them. They need me. And when everything goes to crap, that's all you've got—family. Now, you might be a—an all-powerful being… but I think you're human where it counts. You simply need your brother."</p><p>Amara scoffed and shook her head. "Just stop."</p><p>"You don't want to be alone. Not really." Angela walked toward Amara. "I mean, hell. Maybe that's why you wanted me. But deep down, you didn't really want me… 'cause I'm not him. So, maybe I can kill you. Or maybe I can't. Maybe if I pull this trigger, we all live happily ever after, or maybe we die bloody, or maybe it doesn't matter, because maybe there's a different way. So, I'm gonna ask you again. Put aside the rage. Put aside the hate. And you tell me… what do you want?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"You know, we, um… we need you to try and hang in there just a little longer." Sam murmured.</p><p>"I know. I'm trying." Chuck nodded weakly.</p><p>"I'm gonna go get you some water," Sam replied as he handed Grace to Dean.</p><p>"Hey, sweetheart," Dean looked down at his niece.</p><p>Sam went to get a glass of water. Dean looked up and frowned when he noticed Chuck was gone.</p><p>"Sam!"</p><p>Sam turned around and his brows furrowed. "Chuck?"</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"What?" Chuck looked around when he found himself in the garden.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>"Chuck?!" Sam yelled.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Chuck stood up and stared at Amara. "Why did you bring me here?"</p><p>"Brother, I…" Amara started nervously. "In the beginning, it was just you and me, and we were family. I loved you, and I thought—I knew… that you loved me."</p><p>"I did." Chuck sighed heavily. "I do."</p><p>"But then you went and you made all these other things." Amara continued tearfully. "I hated them. I hated you for needing something else, something that wasn't me. And then you locked me away, and all I could think about was making you suffer."</p><p>"You had your reasons." Chuck sympathized.</p><p>"I did." Amara nodded. "And I thought revenge would make me happy. But I was wrong," she admitted. "What you've made… it's beautiful. It took me a long time to see that. I know that we can't go back to the way things were. I don't want to, but I wish… I wish that we could just be family again."</p><p>"I do too." Chuck smiled.</p><p>He reached out his hand and Amara took it. Their hands started to glow and the sky brightened as the sun burned again.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Sam, Dean, Crowley, Rowena, and Castiel ran outside as the sun streamed in through the window. Dean carried Grace, who looked up at the sky.</p><p>"She did it," Crowley muttered in disbelief.</p><p>"She bloody did it," Rowena muttered.</p><p>"And Angela?" Castiel inquired.</p><p>Sam swallowed sadly as he realized what this meant.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>In the garden, Amara held her hand over Chuck's chest, healing him as waves of energy flowed from her hand. Chuck took a deep breath and smiled before turning to Angela.</p><p>"I think we're just gonna go away for a while and…"</p><p>"Hey, yeah." Angela nodded understandingly. "Family meeting. I get it."</p><p>"But first…" Chuck walked over to Angela and placed a hand on her chest, removing the bomb. "Better?"</p><p>Angela's brows furrowed slightly. "What about us? What about Earth?"</p><p>"Earth will be fine," Chuck assured. "It's got you… and Sam, and Dean." He added before walking over to his sister.</p><p>"Angela, you gave me what I needed most," Amara smiled softly. "I want to do the same for you."</p><p>Chuck and Amara held hands and disintegrated into swirls of light and dark smoke. They traveled upwards and disappeared, leaving Angela in awe.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>As Sam, Dean, Castiel, and Grace entered the bunker, a hand dripping blood was out of their line of sight.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Castiel apologized sincerely. "If you want to talk… I'm here if you need anything."</p><p>"Hello, hello," Toni said suddenly as she placed her hand on a banishing sigil, causing Castiel to disappear.</p><p>"Cas!" Dean yelled.</p><p>Sam took out his phone and knelt in front of Grace. "Peanut, take this. Press two and Jody will answer. Run. Now."</p><p>Grace held the phone tightly and the toddler ran to hide. As Sam stood up and the Winchesters reached for their guns, Toni drew hers.</p><p>"Don't," she warned. "Sam and Dean Winchester. Toni Bevell. Men of Letters, London Chapterhouse." She introduced, taking in their confused looks. "Oh, you won't have heard of me—uh. We're very traditional. Keep out of the way, keep to our studies."</p><p>"You, um… What?" Dean frowned.</p><p>"They sent me to take you in," Toni replied.</p><p>"Take us in?" Sam scoffed.</p><p>"Assuming the world didn't end, and—Yay." She smiled.</p><p>"Look, lady—</p><p>"We've been watching you." Toni cut Sam off. "What you've done, the damage you've caused—archangels, Leviathans, the Darkness, and now, well—the old men have decided enough's enough. I mean, let's face it. You're just jumped-up hunters playing with things you don't understand and doing more harm than good. Now, where's Angela?"</p><p>"Dead." Sam clenched his jaw.</p><p>"Listen, lady," Dean glared as he walked toward her. "We don't know who the hell you are or what the hell you want—</p><p>"Stop," Toni commanded.</p><p>"Put the gun down." Sam followed his brother's movement.</p><p>"I said stop."</p><p>"Sweetheart, you and I both know you're not gonna pull the trigger." Dean scoffed.</p><p>Toni fired the gun twice and the shell casings clattered on the floor.</p><p>~/~\~</p><p>Angela was walking through a heavily wooded area. "Come on. Where the hell am I?"</p><p>She held up her phone in an effort to get a signal when she heard voices nearby.</p><p>"Help us!" a woman's voice called.</p><p>"Help!" a man's voice yelled loudly.</p><p>Angela followed the sounds and found herself in a clearing. She recognized Mary Winchester standing there in her white nightgown and next to Mary stood Robert Morgan.</p><p>"Mary?" Angela frowned in confusion. <em>"Dad?"</em></p>
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